Mongolian Matters - News from Mongolia: 10/07/2005

Monastery used as military hospital for Japanese captives 1

Danbadarjialin monastery: "There are a lot of events that left the traces in the history of the relationship between Mongolia and Japan. One of them is the Japanese soldiers captured in 1945-1947 who ended up living and working in Mongolia. In the autumn of 1945 Japanese captives numbering 12,318 came to Mongolia through Mukden, Chanchun, Tsitsikar, Khailar, Kharbin, Jekhe in China and Otpor, Borz, Chita, Ulaan-Ude, and Naushki in Russia. The authority in charge of captured soldiers’ affairs was established by the council of ministers of People’s Republic of Mongolia. The resort in Dambadarjaa was closed down and it was decided to use all the buildings there as a military hospital for the captured soldiers. Some of prisoners were allocated to work in factories and industries that were lacking laborers. The captives were given medical treatments mainly in the hospitals in Dambadarjaa and Khujirbulan. The Mongolians treated them with kindness, sending them to the urban areas in central or northeast part of Mongolia to work. These regions are naturally beautiful parts of Mongolia. Mongolians did not send them to the Gobi or the areas with severe and harsh weather. The ones who worked very well and completed the given tasks were given supplements and bonuses and provided with separate accommodations. Mongolians and Japanese soldiers were somewhat similar to each other in terms of appearance, physique, respect for elders, religious rituals, and hospitality. These led them to form close friendships with each other. Doctor Kasuga Ukio shared his experience. He was working at meat-processing factory in Ulaan Baatar. He was starving and exhausted. A Mongolian who lived near the factory asked:
“Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”

“Come in the ger and have some food. I’ll stay outside in case anyone comes.”
Kasuga was very happy to meet the man and entered the ger to have some food.
Japanese soldiers numbering 10,705 left Mongolia in good health on October 14-28 in 1947, although 1,613 had died in Mongolia because of different health problems. There is a cemetery of Japanese captives in Dambadarjaa near Ulaanbaatar and in Khujirbulan; at Sukhbaatar in Selenge; at Baruunkharaa, Zuunkharaa, Shokhoi and Tsagaan Bulag in Töv aimag, and at Nalaikh, Arkhust, Jargalant, Batsumber, Bornuur, and Ukher Chuluu."