Japanese heritage complex to rise in Davao in 2017
December 08, 2016 at 08:27am
A P120 million Japanese heritage complex that will house a market, a museum, and a memorial site is set to rise here by 2017 as the local government pushes to revive the Japanese history of the city, officials said.
The complex will be located in Barangay Mintal, which was declared as a Japanese heritage site through a resolution passed by the Davao City Council in 2009.
Mintal was considered the "Little Tokyo" of Mindanao during World War II. Around 10,000 Japanese lived in Davao during the pre-war period.
"(We want) To revive the little Tokyo because it seems that the rich history of the relationship between Japan and the Philippines has been forgotten. It's not just about the war that took place but also the economic impact of the Japanese presence in Davao," Barangay Mintal captain Ramon Bargamento said in the local dialect.
Among the artifacts that will be placed inside the museum include utensils, bottles, weapons, and car tools that were used by the Japanese while they were in Davao during the Second World War.
A Peace Monument, a Japanese cemetery, and the monument of Ohta Kyozaburo who was a Japanese businessman who established five abaca plantation companies in Davao during the 1900's, will also be placed within the proposed heritage complex.
The masterplan of the Mintal Japanese heritage site is expected to be completed by April 2017.
The project will be funded by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
Source: abs-cbn.com
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