Prefecture to add student death toll to war memorial
Cenotaph for All Student Corps (Zen Gakutotai no Hi)
October 23, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo
The prefecture of Okinawa recently passed a decision to add a supplemental plaque next to the Cenotaph for All Student Corps (Zen Gakutotai no Hi) located in Mabuji, Itoman City.
The plaque will bear the total number of student casualties of the war, who were enrolled in either teacher-training colleges or all-boys’ middle schools.
The Association for Former Gakutotai Student Corps Members, formed by former students of the 21 Okinawan schools that were mobilized for the war effort, had been pressing the prefecture to add the death toll to the cenotaph.
The additional plaque will inform visitors that 1,983 students lost their lives during the war, a number determined by the Association.
The cenotaph itself is located at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman City, and was unveiled on March 14, 2017.
The monument is the result of appeals made by two alumnae of the Showa All-Girls’ High School, Hatsue Yoshikawa, 90, and Hatsuko Uehara, 89.
The cenotaph displays the names of the 21 Okinawan schools, but did not include information on the death toll.
The Association for Former Gakutotai Student Corps Members filed a petition with the prefectural assembly in April, stating that including the death toll will help convey the tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa beyond the current generation.
The prefectural assembly was cautious, stating that an accurate count had not been determined.
According to both parties, the prefecture informed the Association of its decision in September.
One of Okinawa’s top officials said, “Although the budget has not yet been allocated, we are working to have the plaque installed as soon as possible.”
The installation is expected to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
Cenotaph for All Student Corps (Zen Gakutotai no Hi)
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