The couple strongly encouraged their daughter to join them on the two-day trip, a move underscoring the imperial family's desire to remember and pass on the lessons of the war to the next generation. The emperor and empress released a statement through the Imperial Agency after the trip, saying, "With the importance of peace engraved in our hearts, and with remembrance of all who died in the Battle of Okinawa or were forced to endure hardship because of the war, we renew our wish for peace." Okinawa fell into U.S. hands in the closing months of World War II in 1945 through the Battle of Okinawa, which began in March of that year with the landing of U.S. troops on the Kerama Islands near the main island of Okinawa.
Published at: 2025-06-04 21:52:58
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