Stone Lanterns
Chiran Town, Kagoshima Prefecture
Hundreds of stone lanterns line the main street of Chiran Town, located at the
southern tip of Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island. These lanterns
memorialize the deaths of the 1,036 kamikaze pilots who departed from Chiran and other
Army air bases mainly during the Battle of Okinawa. The planned number of stone
lanterns to be erected is 1,036. Donations from all over Japan financed the
erection of these stone lanterns, based on specifications set by Chiran Town. In
addition to the main street, the stone lanterns also line the entrance road to
the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, and many more stand in a small plot
of land behind the Kamikaze Peace Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) Temple to the right
of the museum entrance.
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