A Place to Learn About the History of the Settlement Groups
The museum was established to convey the difficult realities experienced by Japanese settlement groups who moved to Manchuria and to provide an opportunity to consider the importance of peace.
Nagano Prefecture, and particularly the Shimoina region, sent an exceptionally large number of settlers to the area. The museum was created in response to the need for a place where this regional history could be preserved and passed on to future generations.
The exhibits cover many aspects of their experiences, including daily life in the settlements, the desperate flight that followed the Soviet Union’s entry into the war, and the difficulties faced by people who were unable to return to Japan after the war.
The museum also introduces the life and work of Jisho Yamamoto, a Buddhist priest from Achi Village who devoted many years to helping Japanese children left behind in China return to Japan. His story provides another important perspective on the long-lasting human consequences of the war.
From a Local Initiative to a Peace Memorial Museum
The idea for the museum was formally proposed in 2006 by the local Iida Japan-China Friendship Association. The project subsequently received support from Nagano Prefecture and the South Shinshu Regional Union, while residents and other supporters contributed through fundraising activities.
After years of preparation, the museum finally opened in 2013. In 2019, a new seminar building with space for approximately 120 people was added, expanding the museum’s role as a place for lectures, study, and dialogue about history and peace.
Inside the Museum
The permanent exhibition is divided into eight sections, beginning with an introduction to the historical circumstances that led to the settlement program.
Understanding the Historical Background
The introductory section uses films and historical materials to explain the political and social conditions of the period. A large-scale image showing horses plowing fields gives visitors a sense of the vast agricultural landscapes of the Asian continent and the environment in which the settlement communities were established.
Defeat and the Desperate Flight
One of the most powerful sections focuses on the period following Japan’s defeat and the Soviet Union’s entry into the war. Maps and documentary materials show how settlement groups were forced to flee amid rapidly deteriorating conditions.
The exhibits convey the confusion, hardship, and uncertainty experienced by people caught far from their homeland. Personal accounts and historical records help visitors understand the human consequences of the final stages of the war beyond the broader military history.
Preserving Testimonies and Conducting Research
The museum’s activities extend beyond its exhibitions. It conducts research in northeastern China, collects personal testimonies, and works to preserve historical memories that could otherwise disappear as the generation that experienced the war grows older.
In 2014, museum researchers conducted interviews with eyewitnesses in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. The testimonies collected during this field research were subsequently made available to the public, adding valuable firsthand perspectives to the historical record.
A Visit by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko
In 2016, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, as they were then known, visited the museum. A commemorative monument was erected the following year.
The visit highlighted the importance of the museum as a place where the experiences of those affected by the war can be remembered and considered across generations. It also brought wider attention to the museum’s efforts to preserve difficult aspects of modern Japanese history.
A Place to Reflect on History and Peace
The Manto-Mongolian Development Peace Memorial Museum is not simply a museum about migration or wartime history. It is a place where visitors can consider the lives of ordinary people who were caught up in major historical events and the long-lasting consequences those events had on individuals and families.
For international visitors, the museum provides an opportunity to learn about an important but relatively little-known chapter of Japan’s modern history. The exhibits encourage visitors to look beyond political and military events and consider the experiences of civilians, displaced people, families separated by war, and those who struggled to rebuild their lives afterward.
Visitor Information
Opening Hours and Closed Days
The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
It is closed on Tuesdays, except when Tuesday is a public holiday, in which case it closes the following day. It is also closed on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month and during the New Year holiday period.
Admission
Admission is 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for elementary, junior high, and high school students. Groups of 20 or more receive a discount of 100 yen per person.
Access
The museum is conveniently accessible from the Iida-Yamamoto Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, making it easy to include in a sightseeing itinerary around southern Nagano.
It can be visited together with other attractions in Achi Village and the Iida area, allowing travelers to combine cultural sightseeing with the region’s temples, shrines, hot springs, and mountain landscapes.
Keeping the Memory of History Alive
The Manto-Mongolian Development Peace Memorial Museum provides an opportunity to look carefully at a difficult chapter of history and consider the importance of peace from the perspective of the people who experienced it.
Rather than simply presenting dates and historical events, the museum preserves personal memories, testimonies, and records of everyday life. A visit can therefore provide a deeper understanding of the human stories behind modern Japanese history and offer a meaningful opportunity to reflect on how the lessons of the past can be passed on to future generations.