Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, Military underground complex in Tomigusuku, Japan.
The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters is a tunnel system about 450 meters long, dug by hand into a hill overlooking Naha. Branching passages lead to rooms including a 10-square-meter staff officers' room, a 17-square-meter code room, and a commander's room. Key chambers were reinforced with concrete and plaster, and pickaxe marks remain on the walls.
The Japanese Navy built the complex in 1944 during the final months of the war as a protected command post. In June 1945, operations ended after heavy fighting, during which the commanding admiral died in the main chamber.
The site is named after the former Navy headquarters. Visitors can see the staff officers' room, marked by a sign reading "幕僚室" and "STAFF OFFICERS ROOM", where staff members killed themselves with hand grenades. The commander's room retains his favorite song written in ink on the wall.
The temperature inside remains cool, so a light jacket is advisable even on warm days. The passages are well lit, but some sections have low ceilings and uneven floors.
The walls in some chambers still show the original traces of pickaxes used to dig the tunnels without heavy machinery. These grooves are direct evidence of the manual work needed to complete the complex in just a few months.
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