The tunnels were hand-dug by 4,000 Japanese soldiers using only picks and shovels.
Admiral Minoru Ota sent his final telegram to the Japanese military headquarters detailing the bravery of the Okinawan people before taking his own life here.
The tunnels contained a variety of rooms including a command center, code-deciphering room, and a medical facility.
Construction took place in extreme secrecy to avoid detection by Allied aircraft.
Approximately 2,400 naval personnel were stationed within this tunnel network during the height of the battle.
The site was sealed off after the war and remained largely untouched until excavation began in the 1970s.
The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters is a preserved complex of tunnels and bunkers carved into a hillside in Tomigusuku, Okinawa. Built by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1944, the tunnels served as the communications center for the Battle of Okinawa. The facility spans approximately 450 meters of original tunnels, with about 300 meters currently accessible to the public. Visitors walk through narrow, hand-dug passages that were reinforced with concrete and logs during the war. It served as the final command post for Admiral Minoru Ota and his troops. The site includes a museum area that displays recovered artifacts, historical photographs, and documents related to the conflict. The underground environment maintains a cool, humid temperature throughout the year due to its subterranean location. Significant sections of the walls still bear shrapnel marks and impressions from pickaxes used during construction. It remains a somber site dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in the 1945 defense of the island.
The entrance tunnel portal featuring the historical signage.
The tunnels have uneven, slippery floors and low ceilings, so wear stable, non-slip footwear.
Bring a light jacket, as the temperature inside the tunnels is consistently cooler than the surface.
The park surrounding the headquarters offers a clear, elevated view of the Naha city skyline and the East China Sea.
Do not touch the tunnel walls or attempt to enter cordoned-off restricted areas for safety reasons.
Maintain a quiet and respectful demeanor throughout the underground passages as this is a memorial site.
