Sunday marked 78 years since US forces made their first landing in a village in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa in the closing days of World War Two.

People in Zamami Village on the Kerama Islands, about 40 kilometers west of Okinawa's main island, gathered to mourn the soldiers and civilians who died there.

The Battle of Okinawa in 1945 left more than 200,000 people dead. One in four of the residents were killed.

About 1,200 people died in the village in fierce battles between Japanese and US troops. The casualties included those who died in a mass suicide.

The village held a memorial service on Sunday. Bereaved families and others prayed for peace at a memorial cenotaph, called the Tower of Peace, inscribed with the names of the victims.

A 38-year-old man whose great-grandmother died in a mass suicide said that he came with his children to mourn the victims. He said that he wants to pass on the history as the number of war survivors is decreasing.

A 36-year-old woman said she heard war stories from her husband's grandmother, who is 91 years old. She said she prayed for a world without war, and that she wants to share her in-law's experiences with younger generations.

The village faces the challenge of conveying the history to future generations as war survivors are aging. Village officials say few people remain who can talk about their experiences.