Battle Of Okinawa Remembered After 76 Years
Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa is observing on Wednesday the 76th anniversary of the end of a fierce ground battle during the final stages of World War Two.
More than 200,000 people lost their lives in the battle, including a quarter of the residents of Okinawa.
The prefecture regards June 23, 1945 as the final day of the Japanese military's organized combat against the US-led allied forces in Okinawa.
People have been visiting the Peace Memorial Park in the city of Itoman since early in the morning to pay their respects.
The park, located where the last major combat took place, has a monument engraved with the names of people who died in the fighting.
A memorial service will start in the park before noon. The event usually draws thousands of participants. But it is being scaled back for the second year in a row because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, about 30 people are taking part.