Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

One of the historical WW2 Battle in the Pacific. Almost 250,000 lost their lives from US, UK, Scotland, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea and South Korea. The Japanese general that commanded the Chinese invasion in Shanghai also died here with many of the top Japanese imperial troops. Highly possible from Japanese troops from Nanking. Thus, let's remember that no one wins in any wars and not to repeat same problem. Conflicts of Israel and Hamas, conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, propaganda of hatred towards Japanese from official China news, and past history should be learned from Battle of Okinawa. Don't let human history repeats herself.

I have visited this museum and accompanying park several times over the years. I’m always taken aback by what it communicates about the war and its effects on Okinawans.

This is a very somber place, but one that should always be visited in an effort to remember our past and not repeat it.

Words and phrases are powerless to describe the pains and sufferings of the Okinawa people. This memorial not only honors the soldiers who fought on both sides, but gives a voice to the innocent civilians who endured unimaginable sufferings and brutalities. As Lincoln once said "War at the best, is terrible, and this war of ours, in its magnitude and in its duration, is one of the most terrible."

The park is definitely a must visit if you are interested in the war on Okinawa. A very humbling and welcomed perspective on the what went on during the battle for Okinawa. Read and watch as many placards and videos as they have there, you will not be disappointed in the information they provide.

A very decent memorial to the war in Okinawa. We were astonished by the tranquility of the place, everything is very wide and peaceful and you can lose yourself in a long walk along the park in contemplation. Museum itself has an exhibit focusing not only on the assault on Naha, but also on the post-war reconstruction period with a very nice permanent exhibition. Some pictures displayed are not for the faint of heart, but that is the outcome of any conflict. There is a no-picture policy inside. English translations are lacking a bit somewhere, but the room with the first-hand accounts of the assault on Naha were almost all translated into English, I recommend reading at least a few of them as they were what really brought me to realize what a terrible event it was.

This Museum is a very good place to learn about the history of Okinawa from the late 1800s to almost the present day, with the bulk of the exhibits covering the World War II period. There is a good amount of content in English. Unfortunately, the Museum does not allow photographs inside its building.

Very please and very happy when I went to this place. It was very peaceful and relaxing.

Kenny - Chicago

Hands down GREAT experience. LOTS of history in the museum itself and the iPods/headphones with your own language made it very informative. Took about 45 minutes inside and you can go at your own pace. Take notice of the many signs that say no photography and to be quiet while going through the indoor part. Don’t forget to take the elevator and go up the observation tower! Such spectacular views of everything.
Outside has just as much history. Don’t be fooled by what you can see once you get outside. There is so much more if you climb the stairs or take a golf cart. You could easily spend all day seeing everything but you’ll at least need 2 hours to get through everything quickly.
There is a small gift shop just beside the entrance/exit.

Inexpensive entry and very informational museum. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through and reading the information and learning about the war. Foreigners are accommodated well.

A huge museum with a extensive collection about the Okinawa campaign. If you spend time here you could easily spend more than an hour in here so if you plan to, you should plan accordingly. This museum really does help give you the perspective of the bloodiness of the battle and having lots of videos helps you visualise it. I would wish they allowed photography of the exhibits to help spread the message.

As a Historian for the United States Air Force, I have found that I look at museums, memorials, exhibits, etc. differently now. When people talk about the Battle for Okinawa, they general talk about the Japanese and American forces, but there was a third element here during the battle, the Okinawan civilians. Okinawa lost a third of its civilian population, and that is the more conservative estimate. The Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial and Museum is easily on the "must see list," for anyone visiting Okinawa. The museum does an excellent job chronicling the suffrage of the Okinawan people during the battle and their struggle to rebuild afterward. There are interactive exhibits, an exhibit for the younger crowd (I strongly recommend this as the adult exhibit has images and stories that are possible too much for children), both video and written eye witness accounts and the Memorial grounds are absolutely moving. They accept cash (yen) adults are 300 yen, children are 150 yen.

This is a must visit place to learn about WWII.

Must visit for all tourists. Should be a requirement for all US Officers. Okinawa is not just beaches.

This is a must visit place, when visiting Okinawa. It is a beautiful place which holds tragic memories of the Okinawa people, who went through WW2, and shows that even after a dark time light still shines through. This museum is located in a place where many have lost there lives, and one of the most beautiful places in Okinawa. I highly recommend this museum for people who wants to learn the history of Okinawa.

Overall excellent experience:
- exact amount of information (not too much not to less) in order to go along Okinawa's history
- exhibition rooms truly put you back in time. The feeling was very well recreates audio wise and visually.
- super cheap in my view. 2 tickets adult for not even 3£ (may 2023)
- very clean and with a clear path

The surrounding park is great to wander around and has some nice ocean views. The museum is inexpensive and has plenty of English translations.

This is by far one of my favorite to visit on the weekends to relax. Theres a huge kids park there for the kids and the rest of the area is very quiet. I enjoy every bit of this place.

Pre to post war, all the facts are here. War photos and items are all displayed here. Walking through this museum will make ones sad and wish never to experience one...

History makes people better and hopefully we would not repeat the same mistakes. War is cruel and human suffer in war, but it’s human that actually create war and thus suffering.

The place was so peaceful and beautiful. It gives us a good knowledge about the war. Nice ocean views as well.