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As a science student i found The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology a really exciting experience for me as not only is their campus sooo amazing but their research labs are so cool. It was really refreshing to see something related to science after a historically rich lesson the day before. What really stood out to me was their focus on interdisciplinary studies. At OIST, researchers don’t just stick to one field, they collaborate across biology, physics, chemistry, and even computer science. I think this is such an innovative way to approach science because so many breakthroughs happen when ideas overlap.

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I think the most impactful part of my journey has to be the Himeyuri Peace Museum! This museum gave personal insights on the lives of the civilians which was not seen at previous museum. I love how this Museum specifically chose to make a video about the teenage girls because we can truly hear the anguish, the fear and the struggles they go through at such a young age. This truly resonated with me as they were people who lived in constant fear and it opened my view on the harsh realities of war which is that those who survive had to go through constant trauma. It is a mental scar that cannot be healed. The museum was, in my opinion, the way to tell their lives so as to allow them to accept their past and move on from it. It was the way to be rid off the “survivor’s guilt” by honouring the lives of their friends who died in war. This museum was a reminder for me to be grateful for what I have in life now and to understand how heroic the people were in the past and to learn how the wars in the past is still revolving around the world.

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I found this place really significant as i feel like it was a really unique experience like usually we will only be learning all of this from like textbooks,we would rarely get the chance to go so when i got the chance to go there i felt like it was a really new experience walking through the cave.The experience was super memorable to me as i found it like really fun walking through the cave and not only that as i walked to the cave it felt like getting the first hand experience of the soldiers as the tour guide said that they did not change the place much.Not only that when i walked through the cave i felt like i got to know the  lifestyle of the soldiers back then like for example how they decode some things and stuff like that.Subsequently,i also got to learn some really interesting things like for example,only the higher authority have a white coloured room the rest of them don’t.I also found the path was really interesting as it felt like it was really uneven and dangerous and they had to use that like everyday.

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Himeyuri peace museum. The video made me realised that females also played a part in the war. In sg museums, I rarely see women’s experience during the war. I also understood why the civilians need to kill each other. Some of the soldiers were injury badly that they cannot be moved so the nurses had to give them milk laced with cyanide. The nurses had no choice but to leave them behind. It made me really sad as the young girls had to leave behind some of their friends too. I cannot imagine myself leaving behind my friends as I want to stay with they till the end. When the US told them that they will treat them well, the girls rather die than become a POW. This shows how loyal the girls are to their country.

This was significant as I know that both males and females played a significant role during the war. All the girls are credited and remembered for their contribution.

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The most significant I had was the visit to the Himeyuri Peace Museum. Not only were there exhibitions and testimonials for us to read, we had the opportunity to watch the introduction video which dived in depth into what they experienced. This brought a more personal touch to the experience and reminded me that regardless of age, occupation, or physical ability, everyone was involved in the war and had to endure all the suffering. They were only students, students who went to school to learn and to be able to see their friends. But, they were 'forced' to serve their country. At such a young and prime time of their age, where students of other countries would go out and have fun at parties, they were in a cave fighting for not only their survival, but the survival of injured soldiers. Imagine being exposed to such gruesome conditions at a young age, having to stay in a cave which smelled of rotting flesh, blood and human waste, it must be truly horrific. 

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To me, it still has to be the Cornerstone of Peace from the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum. Learning about the fountain and what each element of the fountain represents has truly made me fall in love with Okinawa once more.

As somewhat of a pacifist myself, I hate conflict. I avoid it, and prevent it and I try to fix it when I do get into conflict. I’m also highly sensitive to negatives as much as positives, so hearing about Okinawa’s message is truly inspiring to me. Such a small island that has went through a lot in its history, but still had the courage to advocate for world peace, and has done it differently from other countries across the globe. It makes me wonder, despite everything I have went through, can I also have the strength to not feel like the world owes me a favour, and just want to get along with everyone?

I finally understood deeply what the Emperor of the Ryukyu Kingdom said about “Nuchi du Takara.” I still love Okinawa’s message even before coming here. After seeing the memorials myself, I can’t help but feel emotional. If peace is really the ideal, could this be a stepping stone to that?

I’m very glad to have fallen even more for Okinawa’s concept of peace. It truly is heartwarming and inspiring.

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the most significant part of my day is when we went to the former underground Japanese headquaters, it really made me look back and realise the living conditions of how the japanese soldiers stay in the tunnels that they caved out using the axes

, we were tai in that it was very humid when the 20 of us were inside but i cannot imagine how humid it was when there were 1000 plus soldiers living in them. through this experience, i can almost experience the tough living condition as it’s not common to see these museums today.

why is it significant to me as i feel that i should be more appreciative of what i have right now compared to the past, as we usually take things for granted

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Something significant today was the testimony of a survivor who had undergone training to become a soldier, he was 18 when the WWII occured. This testimony was from the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum.

In his testimony, he recalled when he had to practice the stabbing techniques they were taught. He watched the soldiers bring in an Indonesian couple, their hands were ties far in front of them. The trainees were told to practice the stabbing techniques on the prisoners.The survivor felt bad for them as they looked like they were in their 20s or early 30s. He said he could not sleep easily that night. He failed at stabbing the prisoner correct lly as the man could grab onto the knife. So, that wasn't the end for this survivor. He went through this experience again to test his stabbing techniques again.

I feel that this moment was significant as this was one of the few testimonies that aligned with the the terrifying reputation of Japanese soldiers in WWII.

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The himeyuri peace museum held a lot of significance to me because I was astonished that even in the midst of a war, those girls not only had to take care of themselves but also other people. It’s hard to imagine a teenager experience more “death than life”. At that age, a normal teenager would be starting to figure their lives out and their future but the himeyuri teenagers had to figure out how to survive now. Additionally, I strongly feel that the himeyuri teenagers were rather selfless even in times of war, the fact that they were willing to leave their family behind to take care of the injured, not knowing when’s the next time or if there even is a next time to see their family. I also felt that they were very responsible in their works. When they were asked to evacuate from the site, they were reluctant to leave behind seriously injured people or friends and wanted to bring them along.

This story made me think: why is it that the current generation can’t exhibit the same mindset? This story made me compare the himeyuri teenagers with the present teenagers. Why was there a change in mindset? Teenagers in the past were so selfless to the point that they were willing to put their life on the line. However, current teenagers now, worry so much about exams and activities that can help boost their portfolio to the point that they were willing to sabotage others in order to gain one’s benefit. This immoral behaviour suggests to me that somewhere along those years, besides the change in timeline, there was a change in attitudes and perspective.

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It is significant as it is a Symbol to promote peace and to remind visitors of the horrors of war. Okinawa, having been a major battlefield, strives to advocate for a world without war through this memorial. There is also Educational Purpose as The site educates visitors about the devastating impact of the Battle of Okinawa. It spreads the message that in war there are no winner and suffering to all parties, physically and or emotionally.So By including all names, the memorial fosters a spirit of reconciliation and acknowledges the shared suffering of people from different nations.

This resonates with me as as a art club member I really admired how it was constructed to spread such a powerful message where the cone represents okinawa and there is a ripple effect of the foutain to spread the message across the world with the world map as the base. I strongly the message and was really inspired by it. This pique my interest about Okinawa history and i wanted to learn more.

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Something that was significant to me was the cliff we saw earlier this morning. At first, i was so mesmerized by how beautiful the scenery was and how tall the cliffs were, but when we were told that it was actually the suicide cliff, my whole perspective switched 180. It was the realisation that something so beautiful can be a place so tragic at the same time. Additionally, inside the museum, the testimonials of the suicide cliff made it even more real to me.A young boy at the age of 15 were just like us, admiring the view and being curious about the world, however, he was scolded by a japanese soldier , whom at the same time was hiding from the war. It was almost like a reminder to cherish what we usually take granted for, like having a roof above our heads. There was one that stood out to me too, as the youngest testimonial, age 7, was about waking up and finding himself on a raft drifting in the sea. At first, i didn't think much of it, i just could not connect the dots, like why was he there in the first place? But later on at the Tsushima-maru museum, i quickly realised that the ship was actually what the testimonial was talking about, and that was when it actually had an impact on me like it is actually real and not just written on text. The testimonials in the museum were also of different age groups, which made it significant as i got to see the different perspectives of unique individuals. It is also a sight that we dont usually see in Singapore as here in Okinawa, they honour and have a memorial for almost every single person involved in the war, and they are not afraid to show the uncensored photos of injured soldiers in the war. I think this bravery from them shows their resilience and dedication of their point of promoting world peace. The poem "To You Who Are Alive Today" in the phamplet provided made me reflect and imagine myself in their shoes. To think about how torturous it was, and even more so for the survivors is heartbreaking.

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I think the Himeyuri peace museum was significant to me as it preserves the memory of the Himeyuri student corps. It is a reminder of the impact of war on students, not only the soldiers , and the suffering endured. I think this museum stood out more to me due to the personal testimonies and the introduction video that went into detail on what the students had to do. I cannot even begin to imagine being in their shoes as i myself start complaining if theres no aircon while the Himeyuri students had to work in underground caves , fuming with the smell of blood and rotting flesh while tending to injured soldiers. This made me take a step back and truly appreciate every single thing in life and reminded me how easy i have it compared to those who had to go through war.

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Visiting the Tsuhima-maru Memorial Museum

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The museum experience is memorable to me.I was listening to the 30 minute video of the life before and after the battle of Okinawa.The video portrayed the relaxing and peaceful life before the battle took place, with people living happily.However during the battle, the Americans threw a missile barrage towards the Tsuhimamaru, thinking it was a japnese military ship.However, they killled the many children that were in the ship,causing parents to lose their children.Not only that, but there was also the Japanese army using the Okinawans as human shields to protect the soldiers from the Americans using flamethrowers,which felt like the okinawans were somewhat like victims who were caught in a crossfire between america and japan,unable to defend themselves

Personally,looking at all the morbid and cruel things committed by anyone,it held much significance because it showed that when war takes place, people can get forcibly dragged into conflicts that shouldn't concern them but are inevitably part of it because they were part of either party's strategy in their own conflict,unecessarily bringing tragedy to these people this means that war is never a good thing and only creates more trouble than its worth.

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The most significant experience I’ve had today was visiting the Himeyuri Peace Museum. I was able to view the actual displays of the cave the female students were hiding in, listen to a personal recount shared by a victim during the war and look at the portraits of all the victims, I feel like it was really impactful to me as I get to experience what they’ve went through. It’s honestly really hard breaking and saddening to view all these stories and displays and I can’t imagine the torture and fear they’ve went through.

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These girls who are in their teenage years have aided the Japanese soldiers. They are extremely brave as well as pitiful as they had to put the injured people's needs before their own, collect necessities at night such as water from places that are extremely dangerous, and where bombs were being dropped around. These girls also had to watch people's limbs being amputated in its full glory, carry the warm limbs and throw them somewhere away from the cave they were at. The situation in the cave was so bad to the point where they resulted into drinking their own urine just to keep themselves alive. However, most of them were met with a death which they did not deserve, such as being attacked by US weapons or commiting suicide due to the instilled mindset where they would rather die than to be torn apart or to be raped by them. This truly represents how brave and strong these girls truly were in aiding and helping the injured, as well as trying to survive in the mist of all that. To me, these girls lived through a traumatising event where no one should ever experience. This tells me that sometimes we take peace for granted and assume that everything we have now is a given. However, after getting a better understanding about what these girls have been through, it has struck me that nothing ever lasts forever, not even peace. And although we may sometimes think that things are not be going well for us, when I look back at what these girls have to go through, I realise that they suffered more than we do currently and they may probably have had post traumatic stress disorder after all that has happened. Thus I find that these girls are extremely brave and courageous in the face of danger even if they had not choice to do so.

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I think the Himeyuri Peace Museum was the most significant part of today for me. The fact that these girls my age were going through such ordeals is honestly really insane to me because I would be going through the same things if I was born nearly 80 years earlier. Like what if I wasn’t born in 2007 but 1927!!!!??? In Okinawa??? (technically almost every other place would be difficult for me to live in if it’s 1927 but yes) I think I really emotionally connected with this museum because of this thought and it made me feel really sorrowful for these girls’ fates and more grateful to be born in the 21st century. For me, I think the Himeyuri Peace Museum might be my favourite museum of all time and I will forever remember how much effort was put into capturing the lives and experiences of the girls and the documentation of their lives before, during, and after the Battle of Okinawa. I think the museum did them justice and portrayed them the best they could.

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Visiting the Tsushima Maru Memorial Museum a memorable experience for me. I saw the translated letters written by children to their family members. The children had expectations for their future—requests like asking their uncle to buy snacks when they reunite. These are not big dreams but small desires that highlight the tragedy of their unfulfilled lives. The experience makes me reflect on the devastating impact of war on children and families. It also makes me to appreciate the value of life and family more.

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I think the paper crane for the himeyuri students that lost their lives is the most significant activity i did. As i am bad at origami so making the paper crane is quite challenging. But what makes it worthwhile is the meaning behind the paper crane which is their hope for a peaceful life.

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the himeyuri peace museum stood out to me the most and touched my heart . because i could truly feel what they went through and the amount of pain is unbearable . especially when the lady lost her childhood friends during the war and they were together for so long and now she could only kept her photo in her wallet . i find it so cruel that such innocent souls have to be lost through this war and how selfless this students was ,saving and assisting the millitary doctor and doing their best to save everyone they could and watching those gory pictures of the people . i found their bravery touching and something so commendable as well because i cant imagine myself doing that and they were also my age .

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Picture of the living conditions of soldiers

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I wasn’t able to get a picture of the testimonials but this is somewhat related.

Testimony was from Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial Museum and picture above from The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters.

There was a testimony from the Okinawa Prefecture Memorial Museum that accounted for a mother’s experience where she had to run while carrying her baby on her back despite not even knowing that her baby was beheaded. This showcases the cruelty, brutality and traumatic experience that the victims of the war felt. Additionally, the living conditions for the Okinawan soldiers were also unbearable. Personally, I felt that it was already so cramped in the cave despite only having 30 of us in there, imagine 1000+ soldiers ( according to the tour guide ). Moreover the experience that I had in the cave cannot possibly compare to the harsh reality experienced by the soldiers. There was air conditioning and it was breathable because it was a tourist site, but imagine 1000 soldiers packed into that cave not being able to go out of the cave. It would’ve been extremely humid and hot. There was a sentence made by the teenage girls who were forced to join military personnel as medics in the Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum saying along the lines of “ i wish to see the sun again, and drink water. “ The fact that these were things that I already had access to made me even more appreciative of what I already have. These were all significant experiences to me and made me more grateful for the things I have. However, to a certain degree, I guess these horrific acts and experiences felt by the Okinawans were exactly why they’re such big advocates for peace. However, assuming all wars are the same, why is it that Singaporeans are not as big advocates for peace in WWII as compared to Okinawans?

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Tsushima-maru Memorial.

This place stood out to me due to its rich history and dedication to the Tsushima-maru incident. This museum taught me to be more grateful and appreciative in terms of the relatively leisure live that is given to us and we should not take life for granted. Loss is part and parcel of life and through this musuem I have developed a greater sense of self.

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I felt that this experience was the most memorable because I was thinking of why the girls would continue to help theJapanese army, knowing the risks that it involved. Nonetheless, I felt that museums like these really bring out the raw emotions the victims probably would have felt during the war itself.

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i think the museum about the girls was the most impactful as i used to view history as something that happened back in time and i felt rather distant from it, merely seeing that as information/content. however after going to this museum, i got this shocking realisation that this was a very real, grim and devastating event that deeply impacted those who went through it. especially seeing how the girl suffered so much, and knowing that they were my age, moved me. i could never imagine the difficulties they endured psychological trauma they have. from this i really really hope that we would achieve world peace some day as in war no one wins and why have such hatred towards your fellow humans

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Prefectural war peace memorial museum

I find the museum very memorable as it really makes me wonder how even after so much trouble and torture they had to go throw they still didn’t blame it on any specific party but instead want to try to make a ripple effect of peace in the world and I really like their mindset of change starts with us no matter how big or small:)

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The Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial Museum was the most memorable part of my visit. Walking through the exhibits and immersing myself in the harrowing accounts of war survivors left a lasting impact on me. The real life testimonies of those who lived through the unimaginable horrors of war were deeply heartbreaking. One story, in particular, struck me to the core was imagining the anguish of a mother discovering that the baby she had been carrying on her back had been decapitated by a bomb. The sheer devastation and grief that must have followed such a realization is beyond comprehension. This moment underscored the brutal reality of war and the innocent lives it destroys, leaving me with a lasting reminder of the importance of peace and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

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Select a photograph or media that is significant to you based on the activities of the day. Follow up with an explanation about:

What was significant to you.

Why the experience was significant and what does it mean for you?

Label your post with your name please.