The 32nd Military Headquarters Trench Remains
Historic sitesHistory
Remains of the 32nd Military Headquarters trench exists underground, below Shuri Castle Park.
Basic information
- Address
- 903-0816 1-chome Mawashi-cho Shuri Naha Okinawa Near Ryutan Pond
- Business hours
- Nothing in particular.
- Close day
- Nothing in particular.
- Charge
- Free
- Parking
- None
- Access information
- About a 12-minute walk from the "Yui Rail" Gibo Station. About 5-minutes by car.
Additional Information
- Academic information
- With over 1000m of tunnels, this bunker was the headquarter of the 32nd Army defending Okinawa. The first HQ was built in Matsugawa in March 1944, but was moved to Shuri in 1945, first to 2 adjacent schools (now respectively Josai HS and Okinawa Prefecture University of Arts) in January, then to this bunker in March.
After the US Army set foot on the main island, Shuri became the center of the Japanese defense. A thousand soldiers took shelter in the bunker, that was fully equipped with living quarters, bathrooms, and a kitchen in addition to the command center, strategic war room, staff room and communication center.
The Japanese Army blew up the bunker as they evacuated: the tunnel now stops 150m from the entrance. Access is blocked by a fence.