MASAHIDE OTA Former governor of Okinawa Prefecture
In Okinawa Prefecture, June 23 is Memorial Day for the War Victims. On that day, all public offices are closed and a great many Okinawans gather before the graves of family members and friends or memorial towers to remember those who perished in the Battle of Okinawa and to pray for their restful sleep.
Every year on this day, the prefectural government holds a commemorative ceremony on Mabuni Hill, the site of the last large-scale and fierce fighting in the Battle of Okinawa. It invites some 5,000 guests both from within and outside the prefecture to take part.