Video Credit: EyeWolf Studio Image Credit CNA
Do you know that hidden away from public eyes in the deep forest of the southern slopes of Mount Faber is a most unusual war relic?
In March 1942, a Japanese named Komoto Ekasa (小本江笠) arrived in Singapore. This was shortly after the fall of Singapore. Komoto was a civilian naval engineer. He graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University (currently University of Tokyo) where he studied ship building.
He started working for the Mitsubishi Kobe Ship Construction Company since August 1920. He was sent to Singapore to help build up the shipping construction industry. Unfortunately just after four months after arriving in Singapore, Komoto Ekasa died, at the age of 47. Some say it’s due to overwork and other say it’s from illness.
To acknowledge his diligence and tireless efforts in working day and night, the Imperial Japanese Navy commissioned the building of his tomb in December 1943 on the southern slope of Mount Faber, with his tombstone facing southwards towards Keppel Harbour.
A platform with steps was also constructed using red bricks supplied by the Alexandra Brickworks. The tomb was built at great expense with as there is proper foundation and brick shoring built for it.
After the war, the tomb was forgotten and due to lack of maintenance, the brick steps soon crumbled away and the forest grew up thick surrounding it. What remains a mystery to this deserted tombstone is why the Imperial Japanese Navy spent so much money and effort to commission a tombstone specially for Komoto Ekasa and not for other Japanese civilians who died in Singapore?
Another mystery is why was Komoto Ekasa not buried at the Japanese cemetery at Chuan Hoe Avenue in Yio Chu Kang? What many may not be aware too is the tomb itself is also a Pokéstop with the name Japanese General !!! (which is obviously wrong)
