The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters

On December 1944, Underground Headquarters was completed by 3000 Japanese soldiers.

It was hidden built, so civilian couldn't get close to the area.

This underground Headquarters has 450m long with at least 8 rooms include a room for commanding officer.

This picture below the room was used for operational planning  . 

The man who sit on a chair is Minoru Ohta Vice Admiral.

The picture below is commanding officer's room.

the picture below is Sally Forth Scene.

Most of the naval personnel left the cave at this exit to make the final stand against American soldiers even though they were not properly armed to fight.

Petty Officer's room.

When the battle was getting intensified 4000 soldiers were staying. There-fore, soldiers had to sleep with standing.

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Medical Treatment room.

Survivors of the battle remember seeing numerous casualties in this area, so it is likely that this was the tunnel medical facility.

Passages

Passages are used for resting.

Tunnel construction.

A Pick for making tunnel.

A passage now.

"Wall riddled with a hand grenade" when committed suicide.

Minoru Ohta Vice Admiral wrote a telegram to the Under Secretary of the Navy before committed suicide.

"Please convey the following telegram to the Vice-Admiral.

While the Governor should be the person to relay this report on the present condition of the Okinawa prefectural inhabitants, he has no available means of communication and the 32nd Division Headquarters appears to be thoroughly occupied with their own correspondences. However, due to the critical situations we are in, I feel compelled to make this urgent report though it is without the Governor's consent.

Since the enemy attack began, our Army and Navy has been fighting defensive battles and have not been able to tend to the people of the Prefecture. Consequently, due to our negligence, these innocent people have lost their homes and property to enemy assault. Every man has been conscripted to partake in the defense, while women, children and elders are forced into hiding in the small underground shelters which are not tactically important or are exposed to shelling, air raids or the harsh elements of nature. Moreover, girls have devoted themselves to nursing and cooking for the soldiers and have gone as far as to volunteer in carrying ammunition, or join in attacking the enemy.

This leaves the village people vulnerable to enemy attacks where they will surely be killed. In desperation, some parents have asked the military to protect their daughters against rape by the enemy, prepared that they may never see them again.

Nurses, with wounded soldiers, wander aimlessly because the medical team had moved and left them behind. The military has changed its operation, ordering people to move to far residential areas, however, those without means of transportation trudge along on foot in the dark and rain, all the while looking for food to stay alive.

Ever since our Army and Navy occupied Okinawa, the inhabitants of the Prefecture have been forced into military service and hard labor, while sacrificing everything they own as well as the lives of their loved ones. They have served with loyalty. Now we are nearing the end of the battle, but they will go unrecognized, unrewarded. Seeing this, I feel deeply depressed and lament a loss of words for them. Every tree, every plant life is gone.

Even the weeds are burnt. By the end of June, there will be no more food. This is how the Okinawan people have fought the war. And for this reason, I ask that you give the Okinawan people special consideration, this day forward".