Lessons From The Battle Of Okinawa

Nuchi du Takara: Lessons From The Battle Of Okinawa

The National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS)  Nuchi du Takara: Lessons from the Battle of Okinawa exhibition and program series. Through photos, artifacts, and film footage and public programs – Nuchi du Takara (Life Itself is Our Treasure) shares the story of the Battle of Okinawa from an Okinawan point of view and honor the resilient spirit of the survivors who have gone on to rebuild their lives and create a legacy of peace. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the re-creation of a cave similar to the ones that Okinawan civilians sought refuge from the fierce fighting known as the “Typhoon of Steel.” The exhibition opens Saturday, January 15, 2011 and runs through August 14, 2011 in the NJAHS Peace Gallery.

January 15-August 14, 2011, NJAHS Peace Gallery, 1684 Post Street, San Francisco.

As with many Asian immigrant groups, very little is known about the history of Okinawans in the Bay Area. A large part of their obscured history is the Battle of Okinawa which claimed the lives of over 200,000 people, including Okinawan civilians, Korean forced laborers and comfort women, and Japanese and American soliders in the span of 3 months. About 1/4 to 1/3 of Okinawa’s population was decimated and most of its material culture was obliterated. After World War II, many Okinawan women who had survived the Battle, met and married US military personnel stationed in Okinawa and migrated to the U.S. with many settling in the Bay Area because its proximity to military bases as well as its ethnic diversity. It is fitting that this exhibit take place in the Peace Gallery at NJAHS in view of the Peace Plaza and a short distance from where the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed in 1951. Read more…

Exhibit Details
Nuchi du Takara: Lessons from the Battle of Okinawa

• Opening Reception Saturday, January 15, 2011, 2PM – 4PM
• January 15 through August 14, 2011, Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm
• Symposium Saturday, January 29, 2011, 3:30-5:30PM. This program is a part of the 2011 Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Public Program Series
• Location: NJAHS’ Peace Gallery 1684 Post St., San Francisco Japantown Symposium to be held at Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter St., San Francisco Japantown