Peace Memorial Park:

"The Cornerstone of Peace"

Statement of Purpose

"The Cornerstone of Peace" was erected to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War and the Battle of Okinawa to convey to the people of Japan and throughout the world, the "spirit of peace" which has developed through Okinawa’s history and culture. The names of all those who lost their lives in the Battle of Okinawa, regardless of their nationality or military or civilian status, are inscribed on "The Cornerstone of Peace" as prayer for eternal world peace.

Concept :

Remember Those Lost in the War, Pray for Peace.

"The Cornerstone of Peace" is a place to remember and honor the 200 thousand people who lost their lives in the Battle of Okinawa and other battles, to appreciate the peace in which we live today, to pray for everlasting world peace.

Pass On the Lessons of War Learned from War.

Okinawa was the site of the only land battle in Japan during World War II. The Okinawa’s residents were caught up in the fighting, resulting in massive loss of precious lives and cultural assets. Our wartime experiences must not be allowed to fade away. "The Cornerstone of Peace" will pass on to future generations the lessons leaned from the tragedy of War.

A Place for Meditation and Learning.

In addition to the engraved memorial walls, from sculptures are arranged throughout the facility to impart a sense of tranquillity to all visitors.

Location of the Monuments: The monuments are arranged into three areas: Okinawa Prefecture, other prefectures, and abroad. Starting from the left hand side from the Peace Plaza, the monuments to the people of Okinawa are placed in north to south order, starting with Kunigami Village. Monuments for people from other prefectures also placed in north to south order, starting with Hokkaido.

Names to be Inscribed.

"The Cornerstone of Peace" is inscribed with names of each individual who lost his or her life in the Battle of Okinawa. Because the Battle of Okinawa marked the conclusion of the 15-Year-War which began with the Manchurian Incident of 1931, the names of those people from Okinawa Prefecture who died within and outside of the Prefecture due to war-related causes and from causes listed below between September 1931 through September 1945 have also been inscribed.

i) Those who died from air raids, or accidents involving requisitioned ships, evacuation ships and repatriation ships.

ii) Those who were evacuated, either voluntarily or by official order, and died from malaria or malnutrition.

iii) Those who died from war-related causes within one year after the end of the war. Victims of the atomic bombings will be included regardless of the date of their death.

Inscriptions.

The names of those lost in the war are inscribed in their native alphabet according to their nationality and place of origin. Okinawans are listed according to their municipality and aza (hamlet) of origin.

Names are inscribed in horizontal order, from left to right.

The names are inscribed in the following order:

i. Japan: in order of the Japanese alphabet (Okinawa Prefecture only: by aza, in order of the street address, the Japanese alphabet, and age)

ii. US: in alphabetical order for each military branch (The order of the branches: Navy, Marines, Others, and Army)

iii. Republic of Korea and North Korea: in order of the Hangul alphabet.

iv. Taiwan: by the number of strokes in the Chinese character of their family name.

Computerised Information System.

A computerised information system is available at the two information centers to provide information on "The Cornerstone of Peace". It can search for the location of a specific person’s name, as well as provide information on the Battle of Okinawa. Touch sensitive screen operation and audio explanations make the system easy to use for visitors of all ages. Name searches can be conducted in English, Korean, Hangul, and Chinese.