Wednesday, June 23, 2004

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The Memorial Ceremony to Commemorate the Fallen on the 59th Anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa between the U.S. and Japan forces in the closing months of World War II was held at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture. There were approximately 7,100 attendants in the ceremony, including Governor Keiichi Inamine of Okinawa Prefecture and others representing the prefecture, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, relevant Cabinet Ministers and the bereaved family members. At the ceremony, people offered a minute of silence at noon, and offered flowers afterward. Following a peace declaration by Governor Inamine, Prime Minister Koizumi said in his address, "The deep sense of sorrow still remains in the hearts of the bereaved family members who have lost their loved ones and of the people of Okinawa. We have the responsibility to maintain peace and to never again repeat such a disastrous war." Prime Minister Koizumi's address was followed by a poem on peace read by a local high school student. After the ceremony, in an interview on the issue of reviewing the modality of the US army base in Okinawa, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "We must effectively maintain balance between reduction of the burden imposed on the people of Okinawa and maintenance of deterrence. The Government of Japan will discuss the matter with the United States on how the deterrence shall be appropriately maintained while taking into consideration the situation in the region."