Reconstruction starts on quake-damaged Japanese war memorials in Myanmar

Bangkok – Repair and restoration work has commenced on a war memorial pagoda and stone monuments honoring Japanese soldiers who perished during World War II in northern Myanmar, following damage caused by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in March of the previous year. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Saturday at the site in the Sagaing region, with representatives from a local private organization overseeing the project, officials from the Japanese Embassy in Myanmar, and others in attendance.

The targeted completion date for the restoration work is March 2027. The Buddhist tower, erected around 1976, will undergo a complete rebuild as it sustained significant damage in the major earthquake. Additionally, some stone monuments inscribed with the names of Japanese war dead have become illegible due to chipping from the quake, leading to repairs and relocation efforts.

In April of this year, the private organization began surveys to evaluate the condition of the pagoda and stone monuments. They have also worked to confirm the names of the Japanese war dead with the assistance of Japan. The head of the organization expressed the hope that the reconstruction work would help strengthen Japan-Myanmar relations.

During World War II, Myanmar served as a fierce battlefield and retreat route for the Imperial Japanese military during the 1944 Battle of Imphal. In this battle, Japanese forces made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Imphal in northeastern India, resulting in approximately 137,000 war dead.