Okinawa Studies Research Guide: Battle of Okinawa

Peace Memorial Park  Photo: ©OCVB

Haebaru Culture Center / 南風原文化センター     (English /Japanese)

• The Center displays documents and artifacts on the Battle of Okinawa in Haebaru Town
• Visit the Okinawa Army Hospital Haebaru Bunker Group No. 20, the first Japanese World War II war ruin designated as a cultural property (English / Japanese)
• Brochure (English)
• Location: Haebaru, Okinawa

Hansen Heiwa Shiryokan House of Nuchidutakara Anti-War Peace Museum / 反戦平和資料館 ヌチドゥタカラの家  (English / Japanese)

• The House displays artifacts collected during and after the Battle of Okinawa by Mr. Shoko Ahagon (1901-2002). Mr. Ahagon is remembered as the "Gandhi of Okinawa"
• Brochure on Shoko Ahagon (English) 
• Location: Iejima, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa

Himeyuri Peace Museum / ひめゆり平和祈念資料館 (English / Japanese)

• The Museum exhibits artifacts and testimonials dedicated to the Himeyuri Students Corps during the Battle of Okinawa
• Biannual Himeyuri newsletter ( English / Japanese ) 
• Location: Itoman City, Okinawa
• GW Okinawa Collection holds several books on Himeyuri

Yaeyama Peace Memorial Museum / 八重山平和祈念館 (Japanese)

• The Museum focuses on wartime malaria that killed approximately 3,000 Okinawans. They were forced to evaluate the malaria-infested area
• Brochure (English)
• Location: Maeyama Island, Ishigaki City, Okinawa

Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum / 沖縄平和祈念資料館 (English / Japanese)

• The museum is a comprehensive guide to the Battle of Okinawa. The permanent exhibitions depict individual experiences during the Battle of Okinawa and promote peace studies
• Museum annual report and biannual newsletter (Japanese)
• Location: Itoman City, Okinawa

The Cabinet Office, Government of Japan Okinawa Development and Promotion Bureau / 内閣府沖縄振興局 沖縄戦関係資料閲覧室 (Japanese)

• The reading room holds books and resources on the Battle of Okinawa, owned by the Japanese government
• Includes digitized materials from the US Marine Corps History Center, the US National Archives, the Japanese government, and Japanese municipalities
• Brochure (Japanese)
• Location: Chiyoda City, Tokyo

The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters / 旧海軍司令部 (English / Japanese)

• The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters is a 450-meter-long underground complex built in December 1944 for 3000 men of the Yamane Division of the Japanese Navy Engineering Corps.
• The visitor center and museum include exhibitions on the history of the headquarters. and documents such as a famous telegram by the Commanding Officer Minoru Ota (Original Japanese / Modern Japanese Translation)
• Virtual tours of the museum and Underground Headquarters available on the website 
• 6-minute introductory Youtube video (Japanese)
• Brochure (English / Japanese)
• Location: Komigusuku City, Okinawa

Tsushima Maru Memorial Museum / 対馬丸記念館 (English / Japanese)

• A memorial museum for the Japanese ship carrying over 1,500 civilians from Okinawa torpedoed and sunk by an American submarine in 1944 
• Digital Archives of Tsushima Maru (Japanese)
• Tsushima Maru Memorial Museum Offical YouTube Channel (Japanese)
• Location: Naha City, Okinawa
• GW Okinawa Collection holds several books on Tsushima-maru

Battle of Okinawa Historical Display on Camp Kinser / キャンプ・キンザー沖縄戦資料館 (Japanese)

• Located in Camp Kinser, the Battle of Okinawa History Display Museum includes memorabilia, photos, and artifacts of the US military and Imperial Japan
• Appointments are only available for groups with educational purposes through the Urasoe City Planning Division
• Brochure (Japanese)
• Location: Urasoe City, Okinawa 

Okinawa City Museum of Postwar Culture and History, Histreet / 沖縄市戦後文化資料展示室ヒストリート (Japanese)

• The museum exhibits photographs and other materials that depict the postwar history and culture of the Okinawa City
•  Data Digital Archive Web Histreet (English / Japanese) 
• Location: Koza City, Okinawa 

< Print Materials Available at the GW Okinawa Collection >

沖縄県史　資料編 

1. 資料編1 Civil Affairs Handbook
2. 資料編1 民事ハンドブック　和訳編
3. 資料編2 The Okinawas of The Loo Choo Islands. etc 
4. 資料編2 琉球列島の沖縄人･他　和訳編
5. 資料編3 Coverages of the Battle of Okinawa in U.S. Newspaper 
6. 資料編3 米国新聞にみる沖縄戦報道 和訳編
7. 資料編4 10th Army Operation Iceberg
8. 資料編12 アイスバーグ作戦　沖縄戦５　和訳編
9. 資料編14 琉球列島の軍政 1945-1950
10. 資料編20 軍政活動報告 和訳編 自1945年至1948年
11. 資料編22  The Journal and Official Correspondence of Bernard Jean Bettelheim 1845-1854 
12. 資料編23 沖縄戦日本軍史料

沖縄県史　各論編 

1. 各論編2 考古
2. 各論編3 教育
3. 各論編4 近世
4. 各論編5 近代
5. 各論編6 沖縄戦 
6. 各論編8 女性史

< Online >

Okinawa City Citizens Peace Day / 沖縄市民平和の日 (Japanese)

• The Battle of Okinawa concluded on September 7th, 1945, and now, Okinawa City designates September 7th as the annual Citizens Peace Day 

Naha City Library / 那覇市立図書館  (English / Japanese)

• Digital Library (Japanese)

Naha City Museum of History Digital Archive / 那覇市歴史博物館デジタルミュージアム (English / Japanese)

• Collections of photos (approximately 20,000 items) pre-war, middle-of-war, and post-war around Naha City

Footage "The Battle of Okinawa" from Okinawa Media Library    ©OCVB 

Okinawa Prefectural Archives / 沖縄県公文書館「映像」（Japanese)

• 232 footages available
• Follow the following instructions: Each footage has a short English description 

1) Click the link to the video footage.  2) Choose "View on a cell phone" (left) or "View on a desktop" (right).

NHK Battle of Okinawa Video Testimony Archives / 沖縄戦　映像。証言アーカイブズ　(Japanese)

• Chapters 1 through 12 cover the events from April 1, 1945, through June 23, 1945, including some testimonials

Yuntanza Historical Museum / 世界遺産座喜味城跡ユンタンザミュージアム (Japanese)

• 「生と死を分けた二つのガマ」is a short 2018 production by the Yuntanza Historical Museum on the two caves with a historical significance during the Battle of Okinawa, the Chibichiri Gama and Shimuku Gama

Cinema Okinawa / シネマ沖縄 (Japanese)

• 「やーさん ひーさん しからーさん 集団疎開学童の証言」is 2007 documentary about the schoolchildren killed on the attack of Tsushima Maru and other schoolchildren who experienced hardships after evacuating to Kyushu from Okinawa