ITOMAN, Okinawa Pref. -- Stepping out of the dark exhibit room, visitors to the new Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum are overwhelmed by a view of the ocean bright blue under a blazing sun.

The tour portraying Okinawa's tragic history during and after World War II closes with this breathtaking view of the subtropical landscape of the island's southern coast.

"Some people have asked us, 'Are you trying to white out all the memories (of the war) by showing this beautiful landscape?' " said a museum official. "But it is not like that. There is a reason for showing this place."