A memorial was held Tuesday in Okinawa for the victims of a US submarine attack on a ship evacuating hundreds of Japanese children during World War Two.

The Tsushima Maru was heading for Nagasaki on August 22, 1944, carrying schoolchildren and others evacuating from Okinawa when it was torpedoed by a US submarine off Kagoshima Prefecture.

Killed in the attack were 1,484 people, including nearly 800 children.

About 250 people, including survivors and bereaved family members, attended the memorial service in Naha City, Okinawa on the 79th anniversary of the incident.

They offered silent prayers for the victims as well as for one of the survivors of the attack, Taira Keiko, who had been sharing her experiences with people, and who died in July at age 88.

Survivor Takara Masakatsu lost nine family members, including his parents and siblings in the attack.

During the ceremony, the 83-year-old said there is fighting not only in Ukraine but also in other parts of the world, and that tense situations around Okinawa have been reported. He stressed that the tragedy of war must not be repeated.

After the ceremony, Takara recalled Taira. He said no other survivor could talk about the Tsushima Maru as well as Taira could, but he wants to do his best to pass his experience on.