The 'Himeyuri' name is a portmanteau of the school newsletters 'Himeyuri' (Lily) and 'Oto' (Flower).
The students were mobilized under the 'Okinawa Prefectural First Girls' High School' and 'Okinawa Shihan Girls' School' mobilization orders.
Most of the girls died due to direct bombardment, gas attacks, or ritual suicides within the cave systems.
The site was established in 1946, just one year after the battle ended.
The museum houses a reconstructed model of the Third Surgical Cave, which was excavated and preserved.
Of the 240 students and staff mobilized, only 13 survived the war.
The memorial was built to honor those who died without being able to return to their families.
The facility is funded and operated by the Himeyuri-kai, an organization founded by the survivors.
The Himeyuri Cenotaph is the primary memorial site dedicated to the students and teachers of the Okinawa Girls' High Schools who perished during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. It marks the site of the third surgical cave, where many students died while serving as nurses for the Imperial Japanese Army. The site features the Himeyuri Peace Museum, which preserves personal belongings, photographs, and testimonies of the survivors. The memorial itself consists of a stone cenotaph surrounded by the names of the 227 students and teachers who lost their lives. It is located within the Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Park. The site serves as a center for peace education, detailing the harrowing reality of the civilian experience during the final months of World War II.
The peaceful, lush courtyard surrounding the stone cenotaph provides a somber and respectful setting for photography.
Read the English translations of the student testimonials carefully to fully grasp the historical context.
Maintain a quiet demeanor throughout the site to respect those observing the memorial.
Allow extra time to watch the documentary interviews with survivors, as they are central to the museum's narrative.
Do not treat the site as a casual tourist attraction; maintain respectful behavior at all times near the cenotaph and cave entrance.
Dress modestly as the site is a solemn war memorial; refrain from loud talking and photography inside the museum exhibit areas.
