硫黄島への天皇皇后両陛下の御訪問～Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress's Visit to Iwo Jima

 　硫黄島への天皇皇后両陛下の御訪問、そしてそこで亡くなられた多くの御霊への
思い、今を生きる私たちが何をすべきを深く考えざるをえません。
　天皇皇后両陛下の御思い
　硫黄島という激戦地、そして今も多くの御遺骨が眠る地に立たれた両陛下のお気持
ちは、一言では語り尽くせないほど深く、重いものだったと拝察いたします。
　慰霊と鎮魂の祈り: 何よりもまず、日米双方の戦没者の御霊に対し、心からの哀悼の
意を表し、安らかに眠られるよう祈られたのではないでしょうか。激しい戦火の中で
亡くなられた方々への鎮魂の思いは、両陛下の表情からも強く感じられます。
　平和への願い: 戦争の悲惨さを改めて深く胸に刻み、二度とこのような悲劇を繰り返
してはならないという強い平和への願いを抱かれたのではないでしょうか。
　硫黄島の現状を目の当たりにすることで、平和の尊さ、そしてそれを守り続けること
の重要性を再認識されたことでしょう。
　遺族への寄り添い: 長年にわたり、肉親の帰りを待ち続けている御遺族の方々の悲
しみ、そして未だ故郷の土を踏むことのできない御遺骨への思いに、深く心を寄せられ
たのではないでしょうか。御遺族の心情を慮り、少しでも慰めたいというお気持ちがあ
ったと推察されます。
　歴史の継承: 硫黄島の戦いの史実を未来へと語り継ぎ、戦争の教訓を後世に伝える
ことの重要性を改めて感じられたのではないでしょうか。
両陛下の御訪問は、そのための大きな機会になったと言えるでしょう。
　亡くなられた方々の御思い
　硫黄島で亡くなられた日本側約2万1900人、米側約6800人の方々のお気持ちを想像
することは、大変困難であり、畏れ多いことです。しかし、敢えて推察するならば、
以下のような思いがあったのではないでしょうか。
　祖国への想い: 故郷や家族を思い、日本のために戦い、散っていかれた方々は、祖国
への深い愛情と誇りを持っていたことでしょう。
　無念の思い: まだ若い命を戦場で散らさざるを得なかった無念さ、故郷へ帰りたかっ
たという強い思いがあったかもしれません。
　平和への願い: 激しい戦いを経験されたからこそ、二度とこのような悲劇が繰り返さ
れない平和な世界を願っていたのではないでしょうか。
　両陛下への思い: 天皇陛下、皇后陛下の御訪問を、どのような思いでお迎えになった
のかは想像するしかありません。祖国を代表するお二方の御訪問は、遠い異国の地で眠
る御霊にとって、慰めとなり、故郷を思い出させるものだったかもしれません。
　今を生きる私たちが差し上げるべきもの
　私たち今を生きる者が、硫黄島で亡くなられた御霊に差し上げられるものは、直接
的なものではありませんが、心と行動で示すことができるはずです。
　追悼と感謝の念: まずは何よりも、激しい戦火の中で亡くなられた全ての方々に対
し、心からの追悼の意を表し、感謝の気持ちを持つことです。
　歴史の継承と学習: 硫黄島の戦いの史実を正しく学び、語り継ぐこと。戦争の悲惨
さ、平和の尊さを深く理解し、未来へと伝えていくことが大切です。
　平和への貢献: 日々の生活の中で、平和を意識し、争いを避け、他者を尊重する心
を持つこと。国際社会においても、平和構築のために積極的に貢献していくことが
重要です。
　遺骨収集への理解と協力: 未だ収容されていない多くの御遺骨があることを忘れず、
その収集活動への理解と協力を惜しまないことです。
　慰霊の場の維持: 硫黄島をはじめとする戦跡や慰霊碑を大切に守り、後世に伝えて
いくことも私たちの務めです。
　どんな思いで今を生きるべきか
　硫黄島の戦いの記憶、そして多くの犠牲の上に築かれた現代の平和を思うとき、私
たちは以下のような思いで今を生きるべきではないでしょうか。
　平和の尊さを深く 認識し、感謝する思い:当たり前の日常が、どれほど多くの犠牲の
上に成り立っているのかを深く理解し、平和の尊さを深く胸に刻み、感謝の気持ちを
持って生きること。
　未来への責任を 自覚する 思い:戦争の悲劇を二度と繰り返さないために、過去の教訓
を未来に活かし、平和な社会を築き上げていく責任を認識すること。
　他者への共感と尊重の思い: 異なる意見や立場を持つ人々に対しても、理解と尊重の
心を持ち、対話を通じてより良い社会を築いていくこと。
　命の尊さを 深く認識し、大切にする思い:かけがえのない命の尊さを改めて 理解 し、
自分自身の命はもちろん、他者の命も大切にする心を持つこと。
　硫黄島の出来事は、決して過去の出来事として風化させてはならない、私たちにと
っての重要な教訓です。両陛下の御心を深く受け止め、亡くなられた方々の御霊に報
いるためにも、私たちは平和な社会の実現に向けて、日々の生活の中でできることを
実践していくべきでしょう。

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress's visit to Iwo Jima, their thoughts for the souls of the many who died there, and what we who live today should do are compelling thoughts.

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress's thoughts

I believe that the feelings of Their Majesties as they stood on Iwo Jima, a fierce battlefield where many remains still lie, were so deep and heavy that they cannot be summed up in a single word.

Prayers for the repose of the souls: First of all, I believe they expressed their heartfelt condolences to the souls of the war dead from both Japan and the United States, and prayed that they may rest in peace. The expressions on Their Majesties' faces strongly convey their desire for the repose of the souls of those who died in the fierce fighting.

Prayer for peace: I believe they once again deeply remembered the horrors of war and harbored a strong wish for peace, that such a tragedy must never be repeated.

By witnessing the current situation on Iwo Jima, they must have reaffirmed the value of peace and the importance of continuing to protect it.

Sympathy for the bereaved families: The Emperor must have been deeply moved by the grief of the bereaved families who have been waiting for their loved ones to return for many years, and by their feelings for the remains of those who have yet to set foot on their homeland. It is likely that he cared about the feelings of the bereaved families and wanted to provide some comfort.

Passing on history: The Emperor must have felt anew the importance of passing on the historical facts of the Battle of Iwo Jima to future generations and conveying the lessons of war to future generations.

The visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress was a great opportunity to do so.

Thoughts of those who died

It is extremely difficult and humbling to imagine the feelings of the approximately 21,900 Japanese and 6,800 American soldiers who died on Iwo Jima. However, if I were to venture a guess, I believe they must have had the following thoughts:

Thoughts for the homeland: Those who fought for Japan and died there, thinking of their hometowns and families, must have had deep love and pride for their homeland.

Feelings of regret: They may have felt regret that they had to lose their young lives on the battlefield, and may have had a strong desire to return home.

Wish for peace: Having experienced fierce warfare, they must have hoped for a peaceful world where such tragedies would never be repeated.

Thoughts for Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress: We can only imagine what thoughts they had when they welcomed the visit of the two people who represented their country. The visit of these two people, who represent their country, may have been a comfort to the souls of those who rest in a faraway land, and reminded them of their homeland.

What we, who live today, should offer to the souls of those who died on Iwo Jima may not be direct, but we can show it with our hearts and actions.

Memorial and gratitude: First and foremost, we should express our heartfelt condolences and gratitude to all those who died in the fierce war.

Inheriting and learning history: Correctly learning and passing on the historical facts of the Battle of Iwo Jima. It is important to have a deep understanding of the horrors of war and the value of peace, and to pass this on to future generations.

Contributing to peace: Being conscious of peace in your daily life, avoiding conflict, and having a heart that respects others. It is also important to actively contribute to peacebuilding in the international community.

Understanding and cooperating in the collection of remains: Do not forget that there are many remains that have yet to be collected, and be understanding and cooperative in the collection efforts.

Maintaining a place of memorialization: It is also our duty to carefully protect war sites and memorial monuments, including Iwo Jima, and pass them on to future generations.

How should we live our lives today?

When we think of the memories of the Battle of Iwo Jima and the modern peace that was built on so many sacrifices, shouldn't we live our lives today with the following thoughts in mind?A deep awareness of and gratitude for the value of peace: To deeply understand how many sacrifices are required for our everyday lives, to keep the value of peace deeply engraved in our hearts, and to live with a sense of gratitude.

Awareness of responsibility for the future: To recognize our responsibility to build a peaceful society by applying the lessons of the past to the future so that the tragedies of war will never be repeated.

Empathy and respect for others: To have understanding and respect even for people with different opinions and positions, and to build a better society through dialogue.

A deep awareness of and cherishing the value of life: To understand anew the value of irreplaceable life, and to have a heart that cherishes not only your own life, but also the lives of others.

The events on Iwo Jima are an important lesson for us that must never be forgotten as a thing of the past. We must deeply understand the feelings of Their Majesties and, in order to honor the souls of those who have passed away, do what we can in our daily lives to work toward the realization of a peaceful society.