DAVAO CITY—Japanese First Lady Akie Abe toured this city’s “Little Tokyo” and visited the cemetery where many Japanese residents of Davao before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Abe offered a wreath to the monument of the Zaryu Senbou Douhou Irei Tou, or the “Tower of Japanese residents who passed away,” at Davao’s Mintal district accompanied by President Rodrigo Duterte’s parner Cielito Avancena at quarter past 10 a.m.
She was welcomed by about a hundred residents of Japanese descent and local officials, led by barangay chairman Ramon Bargamento.
Also in attendance during the visit in Mintal were Bertola Medialdea, wife of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Yuko Ishikawa, wife of Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa.
Other officials in Davao City, including Rep. Alberto Ungab as well as former congressman Isidro Ungab, also greeted the Prime Minister’s wife at the site.
Barangay chairman Bargamento briefed the Japanese first lady about the history of Japanese residents in Davao. Official records attest that around 300 Japanese soldiers, including Japanese civilians, were buried in said cemetery from the period starting 1935 until the end of World War II in 1945.
“She was teary-eyed at the cemetery. Maybe she could not explain what she felt when she saw the tower,” the village chairman told reporters in an interview.
“I tried my best to brief her of the important information regarding the area, the cemetery. I also handed to her a token—the old money,” he said.
Bargamento said Mrs. Abe was also thankful that she was able to discover the depth of the relationship between the Filipinos and Japanese in Davao.
“She was very thankful. It’s only now that she learned about the deep relations of the Filipinos and Japanese especially in Davao City and Barangay Mintal,” he added.
The Japanese cemetery in Mintal is being maintained by the city government of Davao.
Abe then proceeded to visit the Ureinashi Ni Ho, or the “Monument of No Regret,” that was built by the local government here.