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Okinawa marks 75th anniversary since end of World War II battle

Okinawa, Jun 23 (EFE/EPA).- The Japanese archipelago of Okinawa on Tuesday held low-key acts amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the fierce battle between the United States and Japan during the Second World War, which claimed the lives of 200,000, half of them civilians.The annual ceremony was held at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, a town in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa where the battle ended, and only those living in the prefecture itself were able to attend, local news agency Kyodo reported.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the mayors of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and a United Nations representative were also scheduled to attend the event but restrictions imposed in the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19 meant that they could only be present through video messages sent for the occasion. (Camera: HITOSHI MAESHIRO).SHOT LIST: RESIDENTS OFFER PRAYERS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE WORLD WAR II BATTLE OF OKINAWA AT THE CORNERSTONE OF PEACE IN ITOMAN, JAPANESE SOUTHERN ISLAND OF OKINAWA, AND A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MORE THAN 240,000 WAR VICTIMS, INCLUDING AMERICANS, ON THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA, AT THE PEACE MEMORIAL PARK IN ITOMAN IN OKINAWA, JAPAN.