Tour of Southern Okinawa

Today we decided to do something that I don't normally like to do - go on a guided tour with a bunch of other people and get caught up on a commercial racket. Given that neither of us have ever been to Okinawa and don't know our way around, we decided to go on a bus tour and are we ever glad that we did.

The tour took us to a number of historical and interesting spots, most notable of which was the old Imperial Navy Underground Headquarters that served as one of the Japanese Navy's main command posts during World War 2. What an interesting and spooky place this turned out to be. Two things really struck us. First of all, these tunnels were dug from the rock by hand using pick axes. There are thousands of metres of tunnels here. Secondly, many military officers committed suicide here after it became apparent that the battle with the U.S. was lost. The scars from exploding hand grenades can still be seen in some of the rooms. It was fascinating to be walking through an area that was central to major World War 2 battles nearly 70 years ago.

We also took in Shurijyo Castle which is a reconstruction of the primary castle that served as the main administrative centre when Okinawa was still a feudal fiefdom under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The castle had been destroyed several times, the latest of which was during the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. This latest reconstruction was only completed during the early 1990's, and was another interesting spot to take in. Okinawa was for centuries influenced by both China and Japan. Before becoming a vassal of feudal Japan, Okinawa was largely a vassal of Imperial China. The influence of both cultures can be seen in the castle - there is definitely lots of Chinese influence here from the layout to the colours.

Entrance to Shurijyo Castle

The throne room at Shurijyo Castle. The Chinese influence is evident.

The Gyokusendo Cave was another stop along the way. Unfortunately the battery on my digital camera was drawn down and I was forced to use an old-fashioned disposable film camera. I've been in caves before but the stalactites and stalagmites and the underground stream that runs through this one are just beautiful. This cave was well worth the visit.

One of the most sobering places that we visited was the Himeyuri Monument. This was an area in which Okinawan school girls that had been conscripted to work as nurses for the military personnel that were in caves during the U.S. assault on the island. Unfortunately, these young girls were told by the Japanese military at the time that they should be wary of surrendering to U.S. forces. The girls would not come out of their cave hiding place and the U.S. soldiers were unfortunately forced to gas them out, killing them.

Taking a tour like this is a very sobering experience. On the one hand, you find yourself in a sub-tropical paradise surrounded by beautiful trees, beaches, and ocean. Yet, nearly 70 years on, the history of World War II and the horrendous events that happened in this place still weigh heavy on the minds and consciousness of the people here. When one considers the scale of what occurred during the Battle of Okinawa (around 13,000 Americans killed and over 200,000 Japanese killed), how can it not? It is mind boggling to consider the scale of the carnage that took place here - basically a city the size of Regina wiped out during a battle that lasted several months. Let's hope that nothing like that ever happens again in this beautiful place.

To close out the day, we did something quite strange. As we were walking home we came across a small Russian restaurant called Perestroika. The sign on the front had a picture of Mikhail Gorbachev on it - cheesy but strangely enticing nonetheless. We decided to have supper there and were greeted by two Russian women who had moved here from Vladivostok to start this restaurant. Okinawa is definitely a very strange place to open a Russian restaurant. Given the difference in weather between Vladivostok and Okinawa, I can see though why these women learned Japanese and made the switch. We had the full course Russian meal consisting of, what else, borscht and pyrogies! In some ways, it was just like being back in Saskatchewan.