The Japanese tunnels of Bukittinggi

The Japanese Caves, or Japanese Tunnels, in Bukittinggi are one of the city's most interesting features. They were built during Indonesia's World War 2 occupation by Japan, by local slave labour.

Bukittinggi was a major centre of Government during the Japanese occupation, as it had been during Dutch colonial times. In 1948 and 1949 it was the capital of the new Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia.

It's an enormous complex, with a total tunnel length of 1.4km. There are ammunition rooms, dormitories, kitchens, meeting rooms, even a torture room.













Indonesians do not have fond memories of the Japanese occupation, and I was told that very few Japanese tourists come here even today.