[Provisional translation]

At the opening of the Memorial Ceremony to Commemorate the Fallen on the 69th Anniversary of the End of the Battle of Okinawa, I wish to convey my feelings of sincere mourning for the souls of those who perished on the battlefields concerned about their families and for the souls of those who died suffering the ravages of war during the Battle of Okinawa.

Certain days in Japan's calendar are imbued with special meaning.  On these days, old and young alike silently close their eyes to reflect upon and ask themselves where we have come from.

Today we again mark one such important day.  It is a day on which we ponder once more the fact that we who are alive at this moment enjoy peace, security, freedom, and prosperity by way of a history of indescribable hardship on Okinawa, with 200,000 precious lives having perished as heart-wrenching noble sacrifices.

The scars engraved upon the hearts of the Okinawan people are extraordinarily deep, and it would be presumptuous to think that later generations are able to appreciate that anguish fully.  And yet, we must come to understand it more deeply and continually give profound consideration to it.  This must be an ongoing endeavor.

Today as we mark the 69th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, I would like now to join with all the Japanese people in closing our eyes and, with our heads bowed in silence, engraving deeply in our hearts the fact that the unspeakably enormous noble sacrifices that Okinawa endured and the blood and tears shed by the people who perished on Okinawan soil have made us as we are today.

I believe that, based on that recognition, we must go forward tirelessly and steadily on the path by which we make the world in which we live a better place, as a people who abhor war and painstakingly strive to build peace, just as the people of Okinawa have done, and just as our grandparents and our parents have done until now.

As a place which holds both great advantages and unbounded potential, Okinawa, our gateway to Asia, is poised to achieve dramatic development.  It is not an overstatement to say that the development of Okinawa will create the future of Japan.  I will stand at the forefront as we advance Okinawa's development further.

It goes without saying that the concentration of United States bases is a heavy burden to the people of Okinawa even now.  Taking the position of “doing everything possible,” I will make every effort to lighten to the greatest possible extent the burden of the bases, staying faithful to the feelings of the people of Okinawa.

I will conclude my address by praying that the souls of those who lost their lives here may rest in peace and by offering my sincere wishes for the peace of the bereaved families of the war dead.

June 23, 2014
Shinzo Abe
Prime Minister of Japan