"An island of deep-seated resentment" — that was the first impression I had of Okinawa Prefecture on my visit there in late July. Everywhere in the island prefecture, I found monuments to the war dead. They number 419.
The largest of the monuments is "Heiwa no Ishiji" (The Cornerstone of Peace) in the city of Itoman. It was erected by the Okinawa prefectural government to remember some 240,000 people who died in the Battle of Okinawa regardless of their nationalities.
Elderly residents showed me a number of caves that served as shelters during the battle and told me about their tragic wartime experiences. I felt as if the souls of people who died with feelings of deep-seated resentment were still there. After the war ended, survivors of the fierce Battle of Okinawa, in which one of every four islanders died, were unable to enjoy peace. Many had their properties seized — almost at bayonet point, according to some islanders — and bulldozed to build U.S. military installations.
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