Bunker’s silent testimony of battle horror
okinaba’s majestic Shuri Castle symbolizes the golden age of the Ryuku Kingdom which lasted for 450 years from the 15th century over its history the Vermillion structure has been destroyed numerous times most recently in World War II and in a 2019 fire it’s currently undergoing restoration and the Phoenix is set to rise in the autumn of 2026 when it does visitors will get to learn about a secretive space that’s buried beneath the castle complex a command center that figured prominently in the fierce battle of Okinawa eight decades ago let’s find out more this World War II bunker built deep beneath Shudy Castle spans 1 kilometer and has five entrances [Music] the system of tunnels and chambers was the command center set up in preparation for the invasion of US forces at its peak 1,000 people were entrenched in the narrow spaces the hilltop site chosen for its hard limestone and unobstructed views was to be Japan’s final line of defense weeks following the US troops landing on April 1st 1945 the battle turned brutal with both sides suffering heavy losses when the Americans moved in on Shi the commander of the 32nd Army Ushiima Mitsuru was forced into a corner the commander decided to retreat south sealing the fate of Okinowan civilians who were left to fend for themselves our military’s main force has been exhausted but I am determined to continue to fight with the remaining troops and the island’s residents who are still standing until the last man on retreat the bunker entrances were detonated to prevent American forces entrance and the leakage of intelligence the bloody fighting raged on another month and the civilian casualty toll was immense one in four local residents lost their lives in the battle of Okinawa if only the war could have been ended earlier 89year-old Teruya Nyako lives in the Shudy area of Naha City after the bunker was abandoned she fled the US bombardment hiding in sights around the southern part of the island she lost five family members to the conflict in the one month leading up to June 23rd so many civilians had been sacrificed I lost my beautiful family due to the military’s actions and I really hate them hate them shy Castle and its surroundings were decimated by the US forces the castle’s main hall was restored in 1992 20 years after Okinawa was returned to Japan following US occupation it was designated as a world heritage site in 2000 [Music] but the underground headquarters is relatively unknown the public has long been banned from entering the area due to safety concerns but local residents and preservation groups called for bringing the tunnel network to the light a turning point came after disaster struck the 2019 fire that ravaged Shudy Castle during discussions on reconstructing the main hall officials began studying the site and feasibility of opening sections to the public so far they have found a floorboard they believe it signifies an entrance point last year it was designated as a valuable Okinawa historic relic saha Aki served as the prefecture committee chair on preservation he believes the bunker will be invaluable to conveying the battle of Okinawa on the ground level is Shudi Castle which embodies Ryuku culture it’s home to cultural assets we should be proud of underneath is the 32nd Army headquarters bunker a dark history asset it’s necessary to pass these on to the next generation the bunker itself will tell the story forever unlike records or memory it will remain as a physical reminder of the war scores of visitors to the castle have unknowingly walked over this buried space like many war relics in Japan that speak of the country’s dark history it has taken decades for their silent testimony to be heard now they can tell us about the value of life and the futility of
Shuri Castle was home to a subterranean command center during the Battle of Okinawa where the decision of its commander cost untold civilian deaths. #japan #usa #ww2
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