Kenji monument and cave, Okinawa

Kenji monument and cave, Okinawa - darkometer rating : 3 - A monument for the boys of Okinawa Normal School who served (and mostly died) in the Battle of Okinawa , as part of the "Blood and Iron" Corps. These were called into action just a day before the US invasion of the islands started. Towards the end of the battle, the boys found themselves trapped by the advancing US troops at this location just off the southern tip of the island. Like so many others they were encouraged by the Japanese propaganda to commit suicide rather than be captured. And so many did just that. Others died from enemy fire or bombardment. Of the nearly 400 boys, well over half perished. The hideout cave where many of them had sought refuge can be seen too, at the bottom of a path behind the monument. > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos What there is to see: There's actually a set of several monuments at this spot, but the one that stands out is a statue of three young boys in tattered clothes standing on a plinth that protrudes from a slab tilted backwards 45 degrees. This is usually referred to as Kenji-no-To. Between this monument and another, larger monument of more a classic (obelisk-like) design, the path continues and eventually leads down some steps, descending towards the cave that the boys were hiding in and where some committed suicide. Under a huge block of rock there's a small memorial set in white bricks where flowers are frequently placed. Location: on the south coast of Okinawa , just west of the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park , off the main 331 road.