Japanese cemetery in Johor Malaysia

[Raz]

I recently went around the little Japanese cemetery in Johor Malaysia looking for any WW2 linked memorials.

There is also a memorial to an Imperial Crown Prince of Japan, Prince Takaoka, Shinnyo Hosshinno

who traveled through the jungles of Malaysia in the 13th or 14th century who was attacked and killed by a tiger.

I also found a group of 3 stones which looked interesting. Here are 2 of them.

I wonder if anyone can read what it says?

Edited February 19, 2007 by Raz

[Raz]

This one is an interesting one, it's the old Japanese war memorial erected along the Straits of Johore

to commemorate the invasion of Singapore in 1942. After the war it was pushed into the sea and forgotten about.

When workers were working in the area in recent years they rediscovered the bottom and top half of the old

memorial while the central section remains lost.

Australian POW's were used to construct the memorial area. It was also compulsory

for school children to visit the memorial on school outings.

Singapore archive photo of the memorial being visited by a German U-boat crew:

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/inter...p;submit=Search

[MJMartin]

I can help some. I will give defintions of the words that I know from the first line (on the left) from top to bottom.

Symbols 1 & 2 - ?

Symbols 3-6 - A Rank of Full General

Symbols 7-9 -Order of the 2nd Degree (Either Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, or Golden Kite)

Symbols 10-12 - Order of the 2nd Degree (Either Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, or Golden Kite)

Symbols 13-15 - Order of the 1st Degree (Either Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, or Golden Kite)

The last seven symbols probably include a name. Whomever it is, this guy was important, and someone is bound to know of him. Full generals usually leave a trail! Great picture.

[Paul L Murphy]

I can help some. I will give defintions of the words that I know from the first line (on the left) from top to bottom.

Symbols 1 & 2 - ?

Symbols 3-6 - A Rank of Full General

Symbols 7-9 -Order of the 2nd Degree (Either Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, or Golden Kite)

Symbols 10-12 - Order of the 2nd Degree (Either Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, or Golden Kite)

Symbols 13-15 - Order of the 1st Degree (Either Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure, or Golden Kite)

The last seven symbols probably include a name. Whomever it is, this guy was important, and someone is bound to know of him. Full generals usually leave a trail! Great picture.

You are almost correct. It says "Marshal Army Full General Junior Second Rank (this was in the nobility hierarchy) Holder of the Second Degree of Merit (either Rising Sun or Sacred Treasure) Holder of the 1st Degree of Bravery (Golden Kite) Kawamura ??'s writing". The ?? is for his first name which I cannot make out, if I was not up to my eyes in work I would dig it out since there are only 42 people with the Golden Kite 1st class, and only 31 Marshals. The last character is the character for writing so it means he is responsible for the inscription, it is not his grave.

In case anyone is wondering why it says both Marshal and Full General, this is because Marshal was not a rank in Japan, it was an honorary appointment.

Edited February 20, 2007 by Paul L Murphy

[Raz]

Thanks for the replies guys, very interesting.

Here's the Stupa erected in 1970 in honour of the Prince.