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13. Pray for Peace
Heiwa no Ishiji stands in the Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni in Okinawa.
"Ishiji" means "foundation-stone" in the Okinawan dialect.
A foundation-stone is the basis of a building.
The name Heiwa no Ishiji shows the people's will to preserve peace.
The will of each of us is the foundation of world peace.
Heiwa no Ishiji was set up in 1995, 50 years after the Battle of Okinawa.
It is a memorial of the war.
More than a hundred stone monuments are placed in rows, and spread out into a fan-shape.
The names of those who were killed in the war are written on the monuments.
There are not only Japanese, but also Korean and Taiwanese names.
The Americans and British were enemies of Japan, but you see their names, too.
Names of both soldiers and civilians are on the stones.
There are over 240,000 names.
Now most people of Japan have been born after World War II or the Battle of Okinawa.
Heiwa no Ishiji is even more important as a memorial.
It makes us think a lot about the terrible war.
War is always a tragedy.
People suffer so much.
We must never fight a war again.
The monuments are reminders of Nuchidu takara and Ichariba chôdê, the basis of the spirit of Okinawa.