Guam: World War II is Over but the Japanese Still Flock There

By Roberta Sotonoff

Sixty-five years ago, the Japanese invaded the U.S.-controlled island of Guam. Today, the Japanese invade Guam in a different way – as appreciative tourists. The beautiful Pacific island is now a popular site for Japanese weddings,  designer boutique shoppers (Versace and Prada are among the high-end stores), and there’s even a 24-hour Target and a weekend flea market in  Dededo.

But more beguiling than bargains are the island’s silky, sand beaches and its shimmering waters where scenes of huge coral reefs and amazing underwater life dazzle. Many powdery shores border Tuman, the quintessential resort area, which also boasts swinging nightlife and mega shopping malls.

Guam, about three times the size of Washington D.C., sits approximately three-fourths of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines. Yes, the island has the usual tourist and WWII attractions, but it’s also a vibrant melting pot of Asian, European, Pacific Rim, American cultures and the indigenous Chamorro Indians.

Many of the native Chamarro live on the island’s south end, and the Gef Pago Park cultural center in Inarajan Village teaches their history and way of life
The natives demonstrate rope weaving and sea salt making. I stop to watch a man shucking coconuts and am handed some coconut candy. Not bad. He then explains that no part of these hard-shelled fruits is wasted. The husks serve as insulation, insect repellent and tinder while the white flesh and milk are the tribe’s most important food and oil staple. During the war, even the U.S. soldiers were sustained by punching holes into the coconut and draining out its nutrients.

After a Gef Pago Park visit, check out Inarajan Village ‘s quaint two-story, pastel, Spanish-influenced buildings and large church . It takes about three minutes. But the place to linger is the hamlet ‘s natural pool. It flows into the sea. On Sunday, the area is filled with locals chatting, barbequing, and picnicking  while the kids are whooping it up in the pool.

At nearby Fort Solidad, meet the burly “Big John” Quinata and  his caribou, Betsy,  who looks very much like a water buffalo. “Big John”  guides visitors atop Betsy to the ruins of the Spanish garrison. Built in 1521, it is said to be the site where Magellan first made contact with the Chamorro people. The Japanese used it as a lookout during the war. Today, it is the perfect spot for a panoramic view of Ceti Bay.

Two Lovers Point on the northern tip of Tuman Bay also unfurls an awesome land and seascape. Climb to the top of the structure to see the bay and central Guam. Legend has it that this is the site of Guam’s version of Romeo and Juliet. Long ago, a chief promised his daughter to a Spanish sea captain. Alas! The lady loved a Guam prince. Rather than abide by her father’s wishes , she and her lover dove from the 378-foot point to their death. Maybe some Japanese think of the death leap as a tribute to the kamikaze because many of them choose this scenic point to leap into matrimony.

Adjacent to the overlook is a little museum that recounts Shoichi Yokoi’s 28 years of cave dwelling.  Baby boomers might remember the story of Yokoi, the Japanese soldier who lived in a Guam cave unaware that WWII had ended. He was discovered by some locals in 1972. Yokoi returned to Japan, embarrassed that he didn’t die for his country.

Many did die during the American invasion in August 1944. Japanese soldiers spied the Americans coming from the Asan Bay Overlook. Drive up Nimitz Hill to see the natural harbor that is now used by cruise and cargo ships. The overlook, part of the War in the Pacific National Park, has a Memorial Wall containing the names of Chamorro and Americans who suffered or died during the war on Guam. And if this isn’t TMI (too much information), the visitors center features a 30-minute movie, “Liberating Guam: The U.S. Comes Back.”

The U.S. Marines are still arriving today to staff the American military base . It is a shame that Finger Reef, a veritable jungle of coral blooms of flowers, mushrooms and elk horns and awash with colorful undersea denizens, has to be destroyed to accommodate their huge new pier.

But scuba divers can still find about 15 very good sites where corals and sea criters abound. Two World War II German and Japanese wrecks sit on the sea bottom just waiting to be explored. At the Blue Hole, currents are strong but visibility is good. Colorful little fish dart in and out of the corals while a barracuda surveys which one would make a nice lunch. Reef sharks can be found scouting for a good meal at a cove called the Spanish Steps. There are no snorkeling tours in the area snorkelers can join the dive boats

If you’d rather hangout near shore, try Jeff’s Pirate Cove. Local dishes and burgers make it popular  with both locals and tourists. People often spend the day lounging on the beach, fishing on the sandbar or visiting the attached museum with its odd collection of stuff that has washed up on shore. There are plenty of glass balls and Coke bottles.

But on Guam it doesn’t matter if you are Japanese, American or whatever. The islanders are a happy lot and amazingly friendly.

Pilar Laguaña of the Guam Visitors Bureau sums it up when she says, “We celebrate life.”

Guam Visitors Bureau: www.visitguam.org.