Japan govt: Takaichi's grave visit not to honour dead Japanese soldiers

• UPDATED 6.23PM | This story has been updated to reflect clarification from Japan's Foreign Ministry.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry has clarified that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to the Japanese Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur was not a specific tribute to soldiers of the former Imperial Japanese Army (IJA).

Instead, it said the move was to honour all members of the Japanese community who had lived and died in Malaysia.

Takaichi, Japan's new and first female prime minister, faced intense criticism on social media after posting photos of her visit to the cemetery yesterday.

"The Japanese Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur was established in 1899. Many Japanese people had lived in Kuala Lumpur since before World War II, and the cemetery was used as their burial ground.

"Takaichi’s visit to the cemetery was not intended to commemorate Japanese soldiers," the ministry said in a brief statement to Malaysiakini.

The ministry, however, did not respond when asked whether it could confirm that no remains of IJA soldiers were buried at the cemetery.

The cemetery operates under the commission of the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia. According to its website, the spring and autumn memorial services are held annually in March and September at a memorial hall located within the cemetery grounds.

In April 2018, memorial monuments were also erected on the site “for all Japanese who died in Malaysia and is open to all Japanese with the full support of the Japanese government and the consensus of all 13 Japan Clubs throughout Malaysia."

Takaichi was in Kuala Lumpur for the 47th Asean Summit, during which she also visited Tugu Negara or the National Monument.

The monument honours Malaysian soldiers who died defending the nation’s freedom, including those who fought against the Japanese occupation and during the Malayan Emergency, between 1948 and 1960.

"Today, I visited the Kuala Lumpur Japanese Cemetery and laid flowers at the memorial. I was deeply moved to be able to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in Malaysia.

"Following this, the group visited the National Monument, which commemorates the soldiers and civilians who died in the two world wars and Malaysia's struggle for independence, and reflected on Malaysia's history," Takaichi posted on X.

Netizens were quick to point out the historical irony, highlighting that many Malaysian soldiers had died resisting Japan’s invasion of Malaya in 1941.

Some also cited the atrocities committed by IJA soldiers against local civilians and questioned whether Japan had ever formally apologised for its actions.

Are there graves of Japanese soldiers?

According to local researcher Tang Ah Chai, the cemetery does indeed contain tombstones and monuments dedicated to IJA soldiers who died in battle.

In a 2019 post on Facebook, Tang, who visited the cemetery, stated that it contains the graves of officers and soldiers who fought in World War II, as well as those of ordinary Japanese citizens.

Former senior journalist and author Lei Zijian, whose work often explores historical documentaries, also confirmed this.

In a feature published in Oriental Daily in February, he noted that the cemetery had seen the addition of approximately 200 graves during the war, most of them belonging to Japanese military personnel who were killed in battle.

Japan's Malaya invasion

During Japan’s invasion and subsequent occupation of Malaya from 1941 to 1945, troops of the Imperial Japanese Army committed widespread atrocities against civilians.

Historical records detail executions, sexual violence, and forced labour, particularly targeting communities suspected of aiding anti-Japanese resistance efforts.

The ethnic Chinese were particularly targeted, largely due to their open support for China during the Second Sino-Japanese War and their involvement in anti-Japanese resistance movements such as the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army.

The Japanese army viewed them as potential enemies, leading to widespread persecution, including mass killings.

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