Reflecting on the Horrors of War: Okinawa’s Himeyuri Cenotaph and the Himeyuri Peace Museum

The Cenotaph is near the cave housing the Ihara No. 3 field hospital.

The original cenotaph, erected in 1946.

The Himeyuri Peace Museum opened in 1989. Along with exhibits is an inner garden dedicated to the memory of the teachers and students who perished.

The graduating class are all smiles in this photo in the museum’s lobby.

The first exhibit hall displays photos and illustrations of school life at the two institutions.

The second exhibit hall describes the corps’ tasks and includes a diorama of the Haebaru cave used as a hospital. There were nearly 40 such caves in the area.

The third exhibit hall presents the testimony of corps members who survived along with footage taken by the US military.

The fourth exhibit hall displays survivors’ testimony. Photographs of the students and teachers line the walls.

A display of the Himeyuri corps survivors’ activities and their declaration.

The peaceful surroundings of the Himeyuri Cenotaph invite reflection.