U.S. soldiers are seen watching a church where Japanese forces were hiding, in what is now the city of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, in 1945. (Photo courtesy of the Okinawa Prefectural Archives)

       The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about why so many people were killed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa.

       Question: Why did Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa become a battleground 76 years ago?

       Answer: In the Pacific War, which Japan started in December 1941 against Allied Forces including the U.S. and the U.K., Japanese forces saw early success. But Japan was forced to withdraw repeatedly due to counterattacks by U.S. forces, which was superior in terms of troop numbers and equipment. The U.S. military was just one step away from reaching mainland Japan when they occupied Okinawa and tried to make it a base for landing operations on the mainland.

       Q: What were the Japanese armed forces planning on doing?

       A: The Japanese military wanted to prolong the battle to buy time to prepare for a decisive battle on the mainland. They established underground bases using hills and caves in the central southern part of the main island of Okinawa, which was expected to be the main battlefield, turning it into a fortress.

       Q: How did that plan go?

       A: The U.S. military landed on Okinawa's main island on April 1, 1945, and the Battle of Okinawa began. A fierce battle of repeated advances and retreats lasted for about 40 days, but the U.S. military came out on top, and in mid-May, they made it to the Imperial Japanese 32nd Army headquarters dug under Shuri Castle (now in the city of Naha).

       The Japanese military had already lost many soldiers, but in order to buy time until the U.S. military landed on the Japanese mainland, they chose to withdraw to the southern part of the Okinawa Island and to resist to the bitter end. Japan's decision not to surrender turned the southern part of the island into a battlefield where evacuated residents and soldiers were mixed, and civilian casualties increased significantly.

       Q: How many people died?

       A: It is said that organized resistance by Japanese forces ended on June 23, and that the death toll reached about 200,000 including 12,520 U.S. military personnel. Around 94,000 civilians are believed to have been killed during the fighting.

       (Japanese original by Hiroshi Higa, Kyushu News Department)

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