左鎮日本飛行員殉職紀念碑

Hatanaka Osamu Memorial Monument

January 9th, 2025

An obscure memorial to the Hatanaka Osamu Plane Crash Incident (畑中修飛機事件), in which a Japanese fighter pilot crashed on this hill in Zuozhen on November 24th, 1941. Hatanaka was a third class airman (海軍三等飛行兵曹) and perished during a training exercise flown out of the IJN airfield in Tainan City. Chen Chunmu (陳春木), a Taiwanese official at the local branch of the hokō (保甲) system of community policing, mobilized men in the nearby community to locate the wreckage and protect the crash site until Japanese official arrived hours later.

Hatanaka Osamu Memorial Monument (左鎮日本飛行員殉職紀念碑) — The outward appearance of the monument in early 2025.

In April 1942 an official monument was erected at the crash site at the direction of Zuozhen village chief (左鎮庄長) Tokuji Sakari (坂梨德次), who perished in January of the following year from disease while still in office. Hatanaka’s next of kin travelled from Japan for the unveiling, where they were met by Chen Chunmu, who promised to maintain the site in perpetuity. With the expulsion of the Japanese from Taiwan following their defeat in World War 2 it fell to successive generations of the Chen family to maintain the site.

One of Two Plaques in Front of Hatanaka Osamu Memorial Monument (左鎮日本飛行員殉職紀念碑) — A plaque marking the completion of the monument in April 1942 (昭和17年四月) under the direction of village chief Tokuji Sakari (坂梨德次).

Broken Pedestal at Hatanaka Osamu Memorial Monument (左鎮日本飛行員殉職紀念碑) — A second plaque can be found on this side of the monument; here you can also see how the tile covering was a later addition to the base.

Around Back at Dali Ceramics (大立窯業) — Around back at Dali Ceramics (大立窯業). Any quest for the monument will likely begin here.

The Path to Hatanaka Osamu Memorial Monument (左鎮日本飛行員殉職紀念碑) — The power company right-of-way extending south from the ceramics plant. Walk down here and turn left into the forest.

In recent years the site has become neglected and is only occasionally visited. There are no signposts or other markers to guide you to the monument. Finding the sight might be a little tricky, but it is far from difficult. The access point is located near the southeast side of Dali Ceramics (大立窯業), across a possibly dry stream, and up a small hill through the bamboo forest. It is not deep within the bush; if you haven’t found it after a few minutes consider retracing your steps and heading out in another direction.