Not much is known about the Japanese influence of architecture in the Philippines. However, in the Southern part of Davao City, there is one barangay that is known as Little Tokyo. This barangay is called Mintal.
Mintal was historically occupied by the Japanese and the Bagobos, an indigenous tribe in Davao during the pre-war period. They lived harmoniously. It is believed that Japanese built structures in Mintal that resembled the Japanese style of building and construction: efficient, functional and had the standards of good construction methods. And that became the standard of other buildings in the urban space of Davao City during that time, as well.
One of the remaining structures found in Mintal is the Monument of Ohta Kyozaburu, found in Mintal Elementary School, Davao City.
The monument is in honor of the Japanese merchant, Ohta Kyuzaburu, who came to the Philippines in the early 1900s. He was responsible for the importation of Japanese laborers to Mintal as he was a labor contractor himself. During this time, the Abaca plantation owners of the area were seeking additional labor. He permanently settled in Davao City in 1904 and established the Ohta Development Company, the first abaca company by the Japanese in the Philippines. His contribution was predominantly bringing the economic development of Abaca in Davao Province. The monument was built in 1926 after his death which had an inscription “KS Ohta, who believed in Davao and helped it grow”.
The monument is in the form of an obelisk. Historically, the obelisk are monuments that started in Ancient Egypt. It has four sides and a narrow tapering which ends with a pyramid-like shape at the top. Nevertheless, even if this type of structure originated in Egypt, it is used widely in different parts of the world for monuments such as the Monument of Ohta Kyozaburu.
The Monument of Ohta Kyozaburu is one of the historical markers in the Philippines by the National Historical Commission and is one of the four markers in Davao del Sur.
References:
Augusto F. Villalon . 2017. “‘Little Tokyo’ in Davao.” Lifestyle.inq, February 13, 2017. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/254364/little-tokyo-davao/. The Travel Teller. Year. 2017. “‘Little Tokyo’ in Davao.”Facebook. October 12, 2017. https://fr-fr.facebook.com/thetravelteller/posts/the-monument-of-ohta-kyozaburu-mintal-davao-cityinscribed-with-national-historic/1631798763508202/.
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