In this photo taken in May 1945, the defensive walls behind Shuri Castle moat are reduced to rubble

For the 5th Fleet and 10th Army the price was high.... No other island wrested from Japan since the offensive’s start has had such enormous strategic importance.... We did not know that enemy units were swollen beyond normal strength by the absorption of Okinawa reservists who fought nearly as well as the Japanese. This miscalculation of the enemy — early admitted by the 10th Army’s late commander, General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr....

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

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for Nov.... Check out what's clicking on FoxNews. comJapanis known for having some of the longest working hours in the world, with nearly a quarter of Japanese companies previously requiring employees to clock in more than 80 hours of overtime a month, according to a 2016 government survey.... Microsoft Japan created a bold new strategy they hope will improve the work-life balance of its workers by implementing a three-day weekend for its employees....