November 19 (Sat), 2005
Kansai Airport (KIX) group and Narita group converged at Don Muang Airport, and headed to Imperial Tara Hotel, Bangkok. Self introduction, and a lecture by Prof. UTSUMI Aiko in the bus, which continued at the hotel restaurant, where some Thai Cycling Club members waited for us. Had an opening ceremony of 6MPPC while taking dinner, and socializing with TCC members.
YAMAMOTO Ryo having his bicycle bag checked as a forwarded baggage at Narita Airport. The bag looks spongy as the bicycle is internally wrapped with air cushion following our instruction. He is the youngest participant this time. Staffs of the counter also look a bit tense by receiving it; not many passengers may request to handle bicycles normally.
Kansai Airport (KIX) group having arrived earlier, met Narita group at Don Muang Airport, Bangkok. Listened to the lecture of Prof. UTSUMI Aiko about “Thai Burma Railway and POW and Asian laborers” at Imperial Tara Hotel. Being heavily involved in traffic jam on the way from the airport, we had started self introduction and the lecture in the bus. Prof. UTSUMI, Keisen University, has written many accounts including “Thai-Burma Railway and the Japanese War Responsibility” and “Japanese Military Policy for Prisoners of War” etc.
Over 10 members of Thai Cycling Club waited our arrival at the hotel. Representing TCC, Mr. Natee gives some greeting words to us, with interpretation by Ms. Thai, the tour guide.
We have run together with TCC in the first leg of MPPC or Thai-Burma Railway PC in 1994. They have agreed to our earlier invitation to cycle with us again, via our Thai friend.
YAMAMOTO Ryo giving badges of 6MPPC to TCC members at the meeting. He handmade the badges with assistance of his dad, YAMAMOTO Norio, who was a regular participant from 1st to 4th legs and the editor of the memorial pamphlets. His dad also made badges. To exchange badges is a common practice when you meet with new friends like this.
Actually, small round marks used in this homepage are the scaled down images of a past badge.
November 20 (Sun)
Moved together with TCC members by a hired bus to Non Pladuk Station, the branching off point of the Thai-Burma Railway. Assembled bicycles in front of the station, and forwarded to Kanchanaburi passing through Ban Pong town, running comfortably along the Mae Khlong River and taking lunch on the way. Mr. NAGASE Takashi welcomed us at the Mae Khlong Permanent Bridge. TCC members returned to Bangkok leaving 3 members with us. Laid a wreath at a cenotaph near the bridge. Stayed in Felix River Kwai Resort.
In the morning TCC members gather at the hotel by bicycles one by one. Loading their bicycles on two wagon type vehicles and the bus, we plan to pass through the jammed Bangkok by the bus.
All the members of MPPC and TCC pose at the Non Pladuk, one station of Thai South Line, the Thai part of Malay Railway that connects with Singapore, and the branching off station of Thai-Burma Railway. In the wartime there were several primitive huts near here accommodating Allied prisoners of war who were forced to engage in constructing the railway.
MPPC members assembled bicycles under trees in front of the station, and began cycling here.
By slightly deviating from the originally planned route, ran along the Mae Khlong River according to a suggestion of TCC members. It was a very comfortable cycling with scarce traffic and viewing the river.
Posing at the Mae Khlong Permanent Bridge with TCC members, who are to return to Bangkok, except 3 who would run with us until the last day.
Mr. NAGASE is seen in the center pointing something. He was an interpreter for the military police, IJA at Kanchanaburi. Right after the war, he was ordered to be an interpreter for the Allied War Graves Committee, and accompanied them along the railway for all the 415km. He has been advising MPPC since the first leg, and visited on his own this time to join us here. His accounts include “The Lie and Truth of THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI” (Iwanami Booklet) and “ Investigation Journey for POW Graves” (Kyoyo Bunko).
Listening to the explanation of Mr. NAGASE (near side) at the Commonwealth War Grave in Kanchanaburi City, after laying a wreath. Standing behind him is Mr. KUBOTA Moriaki, a participant of 6MPPC, whose father was a doctor in charge after the war of Lieutenant General ISHIDA Eiguma, a commander of the Thai-Burma Railway Construction in the last period. Because of this relation, Mr. KUBOTA went to Kagoshima and gave water to the Lieutenant General at his deathbed.
Another Commonwealth War Grave of Chongkai (*) in a suburb of Kanchanaburi City. Prof. TAKASHIMA Nobuyoshi (University of Ryukyus) and Prof. UTSUMI laid a wreath. Prof. UTSUMI returned to Japan from here as planned.
Here was a big camp and a nominal hospital for POW during the wartime. Close to River Kwae Noi, this place was a convenient location for boat traffic. Thai-Burma Railway passes through right upstream from here, and Chongkai Cutting site is also in proximity.
*Allied cemetery sign reads as Chungkai, which most of their books follow the suit, but the Thai spelling is Chongkai. It is said that the “kai” (water buffalo in Thai) of Chongkai is the original source of merely fictitious “River Kwai.”
November 21 (Mon)
To Three Pagoda Pass, the border with Myanmar (Burma) by the bus. In the bus, Prof. TAKSHIMA spontaneously lectured about Thai economy in terms of rice. At the border Pass, assisted Mr. NAGASE gives souvenir to Mon orphans at a Seiroin, a small temple that he erected for Japanese soldiers perished in this area. Being allowed to go into Myanmar for 1km, wandered around a market. On the way back from the border, discovered the model of “The Bridge on the River Kwai” in the River Songkhalia.
Stayed in Green World Hotel.
Rode the bus for 4 hours and reached Three Pagoda Pass, the border with Myanmar (Burma). At a small temple Seiroin, that Mr. NAGASE erected for Japanese soldiers who perished in this area, he gave a pair of sandals each to tens of Mon orphans who he also looks after recently, to which we lent hands.
Aside from atoning for decades Allied POW’s and Asian laborers who died, Mr. NAGASE had established a scholarship fund for Thai youths, as well as aiding orphans in token of his thanks to Thai government that warmly helped him and other Japanese soldiers right after the war.
Clearing necessary documents at the immigration offices of Thai and Myanmar in both sides of the border, went into Burma for 1km and had a glance of a market. Bicycle members went by bicycles, while the bus members returned proudly on bike-sidecars.
The border is closed with a crossing gate like bar as of June 2009.
Photo in front of the Three Pagoda Pass, which altitude is 450m (“Thai-Burma Railway” by HIROIKE Toshio). The railway once ran here, and its replica is laid in the border. The three Buddhist pagodas (one is missing in the photo, which is in the left) have nothing to do with IJA; they were built for memory of those died in battles between Burma and Thai in ancient time.
In Thai side of the border, there are several souvenir shops selling Burmese jades (imitation?) and teak furniture, etc.
【left】Suddenly a Batman appeared from somewhere on a bicycle. He had showed up and disappeared in the trip from time to time.
【right】A cart-man also ran around. Strange cyclists are in Thailand.
In the River Songkhalia, Songkhalia Village 10km plus from the border, we found 6 concrete footings used for the bridge of Thai-Burma Railway. In course of route investigation in September, nothing could be seen here due to high water level in midst of the monsoon. This was the model for the “Bridge on the River Kwai.” (*) MPPC became the one to confirm the site for the first time in the world except local people. IJA called this as Songkurai Bridge, which Allied POW also followed. As many POW died here due to cholera epidemic, etc., Mr. ABE Hiroshi (1920-2002), platoon leader in charge of the bridge construction, was sentenced to death by hanging at Singapore War Tribunal, but later commuted and survived from Sugamo Prison.
*There is another bridge remnant nearby. However, this one is considered to be used for construction trucks, etc. For details, see here.
There has been a wide spread legend claiming that the Mae Khlong Permanent Bridge is the model of the Bridge on the River Kwai, which must have been originally forged by Thai government after seeing enormous success of the film under the same title. It is true though, that the Permanent Bridge was a part of Thai-Burma Railway.
November 22 (Tue)
Listened to the lecture of Prof. TAKASHIMA on Seri Thai Movement on the returning bus. Saw traces of the railway sleepers in the entrance road to Saiyok National Park. At Hell Fire Pass Museum, Mr. William John Slape, the manager gave some words to MPPC.
After lunch at Namtok Station, pedaled to Wampo, while the bus members rode a train and arrived at the site earlier. Getting to Kanchanaburi City by the bus, visited JEATH Museum, returned to the hotel by crossing the Mae Khlong Permanent Bridge on foot. Allocating rooms, went to Chongkai Cutting. Dinner at a restaurant along the Kwae Yai River, came back to the hotel on the opposite side of the river by a hired boat.
Green World Hotel that we stayed last night is for golfers with hot spa. Nearby is a Hindat Hot Spring that IJA is said to find during the railway construction. In the bus climbing down the hills, listened to the lecture of Prof. TAKASHIMA about Seri Thai Movement.
Seri (free) Thai was an anti-Japanese movement in the wartime shouldered by Thai people in the US and UK, and in Thai including high ranking government officials, countering the government that reluctantly cooperated with the IJA’s domination. Its museum was recently built in Bangkok, which MPPC would visit next day, and hence the preparatory lecture.
Hell Fire Pass was one of the hardest construction sites of Thai-Burma Railway. As mostly Australian POW were assigned and engaged in cutting rock hills, Australian government had contributed to maintain the site where a dawn ceremony is held on ANZAC Day or April 25 every year. Recently a neat museum was built. Mr. HIROTA Eiji, an IJA platoon leader in charge of this part, was sentenced to death at the Singapore War Tribunal and hanged in 1947 at age 28.
Mr. William John Slape, the manager of HFP Museum and the Australian Army retiree, gave some words to MPPC, saying that he wants more Japanese to visit the site and learn more. Regrettably, all the displays and audio guides were in English and Thai.
Took lunch at a restaurant near Namtok, the present terminal station of Thai-Burma Railway, after cycling from HFP. Further cycled to Wampo, while the bus members rode a train and arrived earlier than the cycling members; photo taken in the train.
The three tiered wooden bridge of Wampo is constructed on a sheer cliff along the River Kwae Noi. The train runs at a trotting speed, almost rubbing the rocks, the most spectacular part of the current Namtok Line, Thai National Railways.
Tourists can freely walk on the Wampo bridge without fear, as there are only 3 round trip trains a day. Local people sometimes drive motorbikes on it.
Visited Chongkai Cutting after arriving at the Felix hotel before dinner. This was another tough work site to make a pass on a rock hill, if not as hard to HFP. Mr. TARUMOTO Juji, the IJA platoon leader in charge, was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment at Singapore War Tribunal (later commuted). He wrote “A War Crime’s Memoire.”
Here runs Namtok line today, and close to Chongkai Cemetery.
November 23 (Wed)
Returning to Bangkok by the bus, visited Seri Thai Museum. Looked around the 8 sections with a curator’s guide.
Returned to Imperial Tara Hotel, had a wrap up meeting together with 3 TCC members, and stayed there.
Seri Thai Museum was in a residential area, northeast part of Bangkok. Apparently reduced in status concerning its location, as its actual office was along Chao Phraya River, the central Bangkok. Though Mr. Pridi Banomyong, a heavyweight figure who lead Seri Thai movement domestically, contributed greatly to the postwar position of Thailand by avoiding from becoming one of losing Axis countries, but was suspected of a postwar scandal and died in Paris where he had fled; the movement itself was not duly appreciated for long.
Curator’s explanation on this question was embarrassedly vague.
Had a wrap up meeting at the hotel, together with the 3 TCC members. From left; Mr. Somchai the cartman, the true figure of the Batman Mr. Som Sak, and Mr. Naron.
It has been fruitful days with diverse places to visit and socializing with TCC members, despite occasional hectic schedules.
November 24 (Sun)
Woke up at 4am, and breakfast at 5am. Departed to Narita and KIX by morning flights.
