Syonan Jinja at MacRitchie Reservoir
MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore
Website: http://syonan-jinja.spi.com.sg
Abandoned in the thick jungle of the MacRitchie Catchment area are the ruins of Syonan Jinja, which means “Shinto Shrine of Syonan” or “The Light of the South,” dating back to World War II. Built by the British and Australian POWs to commemorate Japanese soldiers who died fighting in the invasion of Singapore, Syonan Jinja could be said to be a replica of the now-controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Japan.
The original structure of Syonan Jinja was a temple with no walls. It was raised from the ground by a stone platform graduated with a few steps, and the sloping temple roof rested on wooden pillars that stood at regular intervals around the perimeter of the platform. Tons of smooth stone pebbles that should have been used for the reservoir filtration were taken instead for paving the garden of the shrine.
When the war ended, the temple was promptly obliterated by fire, leaving the whole place ground zero except for some traces of stone ruins.
As the years went by, all traces of the shrine—mainly its foundation and the 90 stone steps of access—were overwhelmed by dense jungle growth. The fountain, made from a massive granite boulder, is still intact today. However, underneath the fountain, a secret tunnel was found freshly dug by some unknown people , with a purpose unknown too.
There are some debates circulating that Syonan Jinja was not destroyed by the returning British but by the Japanese themselves. A conspiracy is speculated of covering up a secret treasure left over by the Japanese on the event of a hurry retreat. A gruesome rumor says that a company of Japanese Imperial Guards who were absolutely loyal to the Emperor vowed to protect the secrecy of the treasure with their blood. A mass ritual suicide, which is called “Sappuku,” therefore, took place at the Jinja.
Recently, Singapore Paranormal Investigators probed into this mystery and discovered what may be a link to the famous legend of Yamashita Gold. According to some records, in 1981 an Indonesian gardener named Sappari, who worked at the reservoir during the occupation years, suggested that something very valuable had been buried close to the Jinja. His account indicated that just before the defeat looked imminent in 1945, Japanese soldiers in trucks drove up to the reservoir and undertook what Sappari described as “a lot of activity.”
Nowadays, the access path to Syonan Jinja is blocked with fallen trees and other obstacles beyond your imagination. The swamp is infested by various snakes, scorpions, biting spiders, and millions of mosquitoes. There is waist-deep water to cross and many opportunities to get disoriented and lost. Superstitious trekkers who lost their directions to Syonan Jinja would blame it on the haunting of the Japanese spirits who protect the Jinja from intruders.
