Peace Prayer Park

As mentioned in the last post, I finally took Joe to Peace Prayer Park.  Peace Prayer Park is located at the very bottom of the island.  I had been there two previous times, to take guests from the states. 

Our guests were here in March and April, and needless to say it was rather chilly and cloudy.  It didn't diminish the power of the museum & memorial, but certainly shortened our outdoor time!

 The southern tip of the island looked like this (March with Mom & Dad Szwed).  It should be noted that this was the coldest day I have ever experienced in Okinawa.  The temperature was in the low 50s/high 40s:

And our guests looked like this (Colleen & TJ in April):

I had asked Joe if we could go on a really sunny day -- and boy am I glad he listened to me!!  It was breathtaking!  The camera almost captures the amazing colors.

So, as I said before Peace Prayer Park is a museum and memorial to for the Battle of Okinawa (WWII).  Here's the museum:

The museum doesn't allow pictures inside, but photos wouldn't do the museum justice.  The museum documents this history of Okinawa from around 1870 (when the Japanese acquired Okinawa) to present day.  It's a Japanese/English museum, so not everything is translated.  It's very interesting to be in a museum that is not American, yet focuses so heavily on events influenced by America.  The Okinawans were truly devastated and brutalized by World War II; it has been called a "Typhoon of Steel" where Japanese and Okinawans lost many, many lives.  This museum shows that in all of the devastation and hurt, the Okinawans still have a strong spirit of peace and kindness.  Each time I visit I am deeply moved.  It is a must-see for all of our visitors.

The memorial is equally as striking.  There are rows upon rows of dark stone, filled with not only the names of the Japanese, but also casualties from America and the United Kingdom.

 

Aerial view of the memorial.

Near the ocean, there is the Cornerstone of Peace - an eternal flame.

There will be additional photos in the slide show to the left.  If you click on it, it should take you to my Picasa Album.  In looking through the English names in the memorial, we found a number of family names. 

The park of Peace Prayer Park is equally as lovely - open grounds with traditional Okinawan vegetation and additional monuments.