The history of the airbase for Kamikaze pilots dates back to 1941, just before the Pacific War started, when a military flight school was established. As the Japanese situation worsened at the end of World War II, a ground war broke out in Okinawa, which became the front line in the defense of the mainland. A suicide attack operation was launched, and planes took off from here carrying bombs to ram into U.S. warships that appeared in the waters of Okinawa. The Chiran Peace Museum is a place which teaches us the stories of the young men who died in this operation, revealing the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace.
Items displayed include belongings, photographs, and wills of 1,036 Kamikaze pilots, as well as the "Shippu Hayate," a Kamikaze aircraft, and the "Zero fighter" aircraft, which was salvaged from the ocean. Next to the hall is a reproduction of the "Triangular Barracks," where the pilots spent their last few days before departure.
The Chiran Peace Park, where the museum is located in, has lines of cherry trees planted as a tribute to the dead. There is also the statue of a Kamikaze pilot and the Peace Kannon Shrine with statues of the Kannon (a compassionate bodhisattva) which enshrines the souls of Kamikaze pilots.
Highlights
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Museum for the memory of young pilots in their teens and 20s who lost their life in the war.
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The aircraft used in the war is displayed.
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Explanations by museum storytellers (pre-booking is required, English is available) and an audio guide helps to further understanding.
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