Himeyuri Cenotaph / Himeyuri Peace Museum

The Himeyuri Cenotaph stands as a symbol of the tragic history in which young students with promising futures were drawn into the devastation of war.
Although commonly referred to as the “Himeyuri Tower,” the cenotaph erected in 1946 is in fact a stone monument standing approximately 90 centimeters high. Together with the marble monument bearing the names of the deceased teachers and students, the entire memorial site became known as the “Himeyuri Tower.”
Nearby lies the dark entrance to the natural cave known as the Ihara Third Surgical Shelter, where many students lost their lives during attacks by U.S. forces.
At the adjacent Himeyuri Peace Museum, visitors can see a life-size reconstruction of this cave. Through photographs, personal belongings, and other exhibits, the museum conveys the reality of the Battle of Okinawa as experienced by the Himeyuri Student Corps.
In particular, the video testimonies and written recollections of surviving members of the Himeyuri Student Corps leave a profound impression on visitors.
The story of the Himeyuri Student Corps became widely known throughout Japan through the 1950s film Tower of Lilies. However, the sacrifice of students during the Battle of Okinawa was not limited to the Himeyuri Student Corps alone.
Students from twenty-one middle schools, girls’ high schools, and teacher-training institutions across Okinawa were mobilized to the battlefield, and many lost their lives.
For this reason, memorial monuments similar to the Himeyuri Cenotaph can be found throughout Okinawa.