Thread: Memorial Service Held for Japanese Soldiers

Memorial Service Held for Japanese Soldiers of WW2 | Economy | Solomon Islands News

Yesterday a memorial service was held at the Japanese Memorial at Mount Austin in remembrance of the Japanese soldiers who died in the country during WWII.

In attendance of the annual memorial service were a number of war veterans of World War 2, Japanese volunteers around Honiara and the Bones Mission Team.

The program included a flag raising ceremony, lying of wreaths and other traditional Japanese rituals which were performed by the war veterans.

Ms. Sayaka Kawabata from the Japanese embassy said that the ceremony held at Mount Austin was a very important occasion for them.

Meanwhile, the Bones Mission Team from Japan is still in the country undergoing their survey for Japanese soldier's remains during the WWII.

According to Ms. Kawabata, there are two survey teams within Solomon Islands to carry out the expedition.

The teams have left this morning for Malaita province to look at sites that may have remains of their WWII soldiers. They have recently arrived from the Western province doing the same thing.

This doesn't seem to be the same memorial which was desecrated by would-be thieves back in January:

Thieves target war memorial in Solomons - SBS World News Australia

Thieves in the Solomon Islands have sawed a World War II monument from its base intending it sell it for scrap metal, but later dumped it because it was too heavy to carry.

It's part of a worrying trend that has seen locals bring unexploded World War II bombs, ammunition and other relics into population centres to sell as scrap, police in the capital, Honiara, said.

In the latest incident, thieves targeted the brass Japanese war monument at Mount Austin in the city.

The statue, of a man with scales holding a gun, was carried for some distance before being dumped.

Police said the crime showed a great lack of respect.

"World War II monuments are symbols of the gratitude Japan and America has to the Solomon Islands. This act of vandalism is very disrespectful and unacceptable," police spokesman Nathan Ratu said.

Sergeant Trevor Nina, from the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, said scrap metal companies had been approached by people trying to sell a range of World War II relics, including unexploded bombs.

"(It) is a very dangerous practice. Only trained bomb disposal officers should transport such hazardous items," he said.

Tourism officials said the attack on the memorial was upsetting, saying thousands of tourists visited the Solomons every year to go on World War II tours.

"From veterans, military historians to plain tourists, these sites are as important to the Solomons as to others," Destination Solomons Travel and Tours managing director Wilson Maelaua said.

"So certainly this (incident) is very sad and disappointing act by our people."

Hi There
The statue was not of someone with scales holding a gun, it was of a fisherman holding a net and looking out to sea. The statue was bronze or brass and was made by a Japanese sculptor who was killed on Guadalcanal. The statue was donated by his father to the Mt Austen memorial. The statue had bullet holes fired through by MEF militants sometime between 1999 and 2003. The statue has not been put back as the likelihood is it would be stolen again and I believe it is in storage somewhere.
I will try and get a picture up

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