Battle of Okinawa • Free Lecture & Movie ScreeningNEW

IREI NO HI • BATTLE OF OKINAWA - LECTURE AND MOVIE SCREENING - On June 21, 2014 (Saturday) at 1:00 PM, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA), Inc will be hosting a free "Irei no Hi" lecture and movie screening at the OAA Center in Gardena. The purpose of this event is to provide an introductory lecture focusing on the Battle of Okinawa, its historical context, and the lasting effects on Okinawa and its people.

 

June 23 is a prefectural holiday in Okinawa called "Irei no Hi," commemorating the end of the Battle of Okinawa. Every year, Okinawans pray for the lives lost during the devastating battle from which approximately 150,000 civilians were killed or committed suicide.

 

We are honored to have two guest lecturers at this event:

 

• KEIKO ITOKAZU, Japan's House of Councillors and past Okinawa Prefecture Assembly Member (live video stream from Okinawa, schedule permitting)

 

• AYANO GINOZA, research scholar at the UCLA Center for the Study of Women and lecturer at UC Riverside.

 

We will also be screening two short documentaries at our June 21 event:

 

In "TYPHOON OF STEEL" (20 minutes, English), local filmmaker and educator Gena Hamamoto interviews two Uchinaanchu "kibei" (nisei who were born in America and received their primary education in Japan or Okinawa). Takejiro Higa and Frank Seiyu Higashi served as linguists and interpreters in the U.S. Military Intelligence Service (M.I.S.), saving countless lives during the Battle of Okinawa. The documentary will be introduced by director GENA HAMAMOTO.

 

"HIMEYURI" (30 minutes, Japanese with English subtitles) recounts the harrowing experiences of the 222 high school students and 18 teachers who were forced to work as nurses for the Imperial Japanese Army during the Battle of Okinawa. This documentary was produced by the Himeyuri Peace Foundation in Okinawa.

URL: https://www.facebook.com/events/552028824916881/