Ambassador Higuchi attended “Battle of Bloody Ridge Memorial”
2025/9/16
Speech by Ambassador Higuchi
Raising a wreath at the Edsons Ridge Monument
On September 16, “Battle of Bloody Ridge Memorial” was held at the Bloody Ridge National Historical Park. Ambassador Keiichi Higuchi, Hon. Choylin Yim Douglas, Minister of Culture and Tourism, H. E. Rod Hilton, Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Paul Turner, British High Commissioner, H. E. Jonathan Curr, NZ High Commissioner, Mr Dan O’Hara, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Defence Advisors of Australia and U K, New Zealand Police, Ms Emily Davis, Program Manager of HALO Trust and others attended the memorial.
The Battle of Bloody Ridge took place on from September 12 to 14, 1942 on the hills in Lungga, 5 kilometers south of Honiara Airport. Japanese soldiers, led by Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, fought fiercely to break through and retake the airfield seized by the Allied Forces. Opposite them stood U.S. Marines, commanded by Colonel Merrit Edson fought fiercely to hold the hills and prevent what could have been the undoing of the allies’ tenuous hold on Guadalcanal.
In his address of condolence, Ambassador Higuchi said that we dedicate our prayer for peace, after recalling his attendance at Mass at the Catholic Church of Holy Cross, the ceremony hosted by the All Japan Solomon Association, the ceremony hosted by the United States Marine Corps, the ceremony hosted by Solomons Scouts and Coast-watchers Trust, and then the ceremony hosted by Australia for HMAS Canberra. Furthermore, he said that each of us must remind ourselves that peace is not to be taken for granted, and think of things each of us can do to retain or make peace. And he said that we should pass onto our future generations the stories of such battles and the post-war efforts that we have made to gain and maintain peace.
Solomon Islands Government is making the Bloody Ridge National Historical Park to protect its immense historical significance and to transform it into an iconic tourism attraction for Solomon Islands. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism made the Development Plan and the Operation and Management Plan, with the support of the Australian Government through Australian Volunteers International, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency of US, the Department of Environmental Studies of SINU, and HALO Trust etc..
The Battle of Bloody Ridge took place on from September 12 to 14, 1942 on the hills in Lungga, 5 kilometers south of Honiara Airport. Japanese soldiers, led by Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, fought fiercely to break through and retake the airfield seized by the Allied Forces. Opposite them stood U.S. Marines, commanded by Colonel Merrit Edson fought fiercely to hold the hills and prevent what could have been the undoing of the allies’ tenuous hold on Guadalcanal.
In his address of condolence, Ambassador Higuchi said that we dedicate our prayer for peace, after recalling his attendance at Mass at the Catholic Church of Holy Cross, the ceremony hosted by the All Japan Solomon Association, the ceremony hosted by the United States Marine Corps, the ceremony hosted by Solomons Scouts and Coast-watchers Trust, and then the ceremony hosted by Australia for HMAS Canberra. Furthermore, he said that each of us must remind ourselves that peace is not to be taken for granted, and think of things each of us can do to retain or make peace. And he said that we should pass onto our future generations the stories of such battles and the post-war efforts that we have made to gain and maintain peace.
Solomon Islands Government is making the Bloody Ridge National Historical Park to protect its immense historical significance and to transform it into an iconic tourism attraction for Solomon Islands. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism made the Development Plan and the Operation and Management Plan, with the support of the Australian Government through Australian Volunteers International, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency of US, the Department of Environmental Studies of SINU, and HALO Trust etc..
Cenotaph of Japanese War Dead of 2nd Division in Guadalcanal Island