International Memorials
Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
Figure 1: Warfare during the Battle of Okinawa
April 1, 1945 marked the beginning of one of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War II in the Pacific theatre. The Allies’ invasion of Okinawa, an island controlled by Japan, consisted of a heavy death toll on both the American and Japanese military fronts, including Korean soldiers. Numerous Okinawan citizens were also massacred in the fighting. Living under the oppressive control of Japan, Okinawans were racialized and discriminated against in the years following the acquisition of the island in 1875, and into the war years. The ongoing battle highlighted the extent of the Japanese army’s unwillingness to surrender in the face of certain defeat.
Figure 2: The Cornerstone of Peace at the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
Showcased on June 23, 1995, the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park was unveiled to commemorate the lives lost in Pacific theatre during the Battle of Okinawa. The large amount of widespread bloodshed may have contributed to a comprehensive exhibition of lives lost in the Cornerstone of Peace Monument at the park. The names of the dead were displayed on black granite slabs oriented in a circular design and separated by country. Unlike most other World War II monuments, the Cornerstone of Peace consists of all those who died in the Battle of Okinawa, regardless of the side they fought for. Modelled by the Vietnam War monument in Washington D.C., the black granite, where the names of the dead are inscribed, is reflective. This allows the viewers to experience reading the names of those who died for their country and as unavoidable casualties of war in the Battle of Okinawa, while seeing their own silhouette reflected behind the words. It instills a symbolic link between the dead and the living, if even for that short moment.
Figure 3.1: The Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum Figure 3.2: The Himeyuri Museum
While the Cornerstone of Peace is a notable feature of the peace memorial park, the park also houses numerous museums to further present information regarding the Okinawan perspective of World War II. Opened in 1975, one of the museums is the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum. Similar to the Hiroshima Peace Park, the realities of war are presented without blatantly pointing the proverbial finger at any one country for the blame. Detailed representations of civilians being killed in caves and with shelling by the Japanese and American armed forces are displayed without political censorship. The museum caters to a wide range of audiences, having an interactive Children’s Exhibition Room. Another museum is the Himeyuri Peace Museum, which memorializes the tragic outcomes of the Okinawan school girls mobilized by the Japanese Army to work as nurses. As the war was coming to an end, the school girls were abandoned by the military and forced to survive the rest of the war in caves and dodging stray bullets from the battlefield. Exhibits of the girls before and during the war are built for viewing. The museums displays bones and photos of the school girls and depicts the survivors, who made up less than 10% of the total group of students.
Figure 4: Overview of the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
A major criticism voiced about the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park is the stark contradiction between the presentation of war and peace. Beautiful gardens and greenery surround the entire park and a unifying display of all of the countries’ losses are represented in the monuments. However, in addition, the all-inclusive memorial seems to avoid assigning responsibility for those at fault for the battle, namely the Japanese. Some disapproved of having the Japanese soldiers’ names side by side with the Okinawan citizens’ they terrorized. Critics feel the Japanese oppression of the island of Okinawa was very sanitized and censored, projecting a biased view of the war through this monument.
Peace Poles
Figure 1: Standard Peace Pole Figure 2: Masahisa Goi
In 1995, Masahisa Goi, a spiritual Japanese philosopher, paved the way for some of the first international peace foundations after World War II and the creation of the peace pole. It was one of his world peace groups, The World Peace Prayer Society, which developed the peace pole and used Goi’s mantra, “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” as the memorable signature on all of the poles. The peace pole was created as a unifying structure that solely promoted peace. It does not specify a specific time period or a specific event, but constitutes as a symbol of humanity and hopeful aspirations towards world peace. Similar to the Hiroshima Peace Park and the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, no one country is intentionallyblamed for any war or violence. Only peace is the promoted through the monument. However, unlike other monuments, peace poles are mobile and have the ability of being housed in commonplace areas, so peace can be conveniently widespread.
Figure 3: Peace Pole at the University of California Santa Cruz, Merrill College
Some peace poles are dedicated to people who have sacrificed their time and energy for the progression of the goal of world peace. At the University of California Santa Cruz, multiple peace poles have been dedicated at College 9 & 10, Oakes College, and Merrill College. At Merrill College, a peace pole was displayed as a token of gratitude and respect shared between the Peace Corps and the UCSC campus, specifically the Merrill College. Merrill, being the cultural center college of UCSC, chose to display the peace pole with the standard mantra in four different languages to further cement the combined international effort for world peace.
Figure 4: Creative and Decorative Peace Poles
Some criticisms that may arise against peace poles are the lack of stationary orientation and specificity. Since the peace poles can be purchased and placed virtually anywhere, the viewing lacks the visual experience individuals would gain from going to structural monuments. Artifacts wouldn’t be displayed, and families and friends wouldn’t have the impact of optical imagery to understand the reason for the memorial. Also, peace poles are concerned with spreading the ideology of peace, but lack how to go about it and why. Events wouldn’t be interpreted for viewers; no historical data or background would be shown or explained.
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