• What was significant to you.

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

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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.

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:)

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

, 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

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.

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.