June 23 marked 80 years since the end of the Battle of Okinawa in the final stages of World War II.  

Okinawa observes Irei no Hi on June 23, or Okinawa Memorial Day, and a solemn remembrance ceremony was held.  

The ceremony took place at Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman City, the site of the war’s final and fiercest battles.  

The event started just before noon and was attended by Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny. They observed a moment of silence together with the public, mourning more than 200,000 lives lost in the Battle of Okinawa.  

Tamaki Denny, Okinawa Governor: 

It is our mission to carry forward the reality and lessons of the Battle of Okinawa— a war that involved civilians—across generations, through the united and tireless efforts of the Okinawan people. 

Ishiba Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan: 

We must never repeat the horrors of war. We are committed to building a world where everyone can live in peace and with dignity. 

Throughout the day, bereaved families visited the Cornerstone of Peace, a monument inscribed with the names of the war dead. 

Bereaved Sister 

Every time I come here, I cry. I don’t know where my brother died, and we don’t have his remains to mourn him. 

As the number of war survivors dwindle, this year’s Irei no Hi serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need to pass on the memories of the war.