WAR IN THE PACIFIC National Historical Park

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

Asan Beach Guide

WALK #3— JAPANESE FORTIFICATIONS ON ASAN POINT

Japanese Tunnel

Walk on the grassy area toward Marine Drive. On the eastern side of Asan Ridge you can see a Japanese tunnel. Look for large roots on the exposed limestone cliff, the last exposure of rock before Marine Drive. Below the roots are some large dead tree trunks lying at a slight angle, almost horizontal. Access is somewhat difficult through the undergrowth, but you will see a faint trail through the grass that will take you to the tunnel. The tunnel goes straight in for about 25 feet before making a right-angle turn to the left into darkness.

This tunnel is just one example of the many Japanese fortifications that were dug by forced Chamorro labor.

Although the vegetation may be scratchy, there is little need to worry about snakes or poisonous plants. There is the possibility, however, of an encounter with a brown tree snake. This snake's bite is relatively harmless to most people—about the severity of a bee sting—but can be potentially dangerous to persons who are very elderly, very young, or in poor health.

Trail Along Marine Drive

The following directions take you through the road cut to the west side of Asan Point. The trail is rocky and uneven; please watch your step.

Follow the mowed path up to the power pole near the road and walk inside the guard railing through the road cut. When you see a broad path leading from a power pole off to the right, follow it through the jungle. As you enter any of these historic structures, remember two important points. The caves and concrete are old and have not been stabilized. For your own safety, watch your footing and your head. Please do your part as well to preserve these pieces of history for everyone who visits War in the Pacific National Historical Park. Do not deface or remove any artifacts.

Gun Emplacement #1

The small river emptying into Piti Bay to your left is the Matgue River. When you reach the shoreline, you will come to a shallow cave. Behind a straight, low concrete wall are the remains of a steel gun base. After the landing, Marines reported finding three 20-cm short barrel naval guns in this area. For this fortification, the Japanese took advantage of a large, winding crevice in the limestone cliff. For preservation and safety precautions, the original structure has now been reinforced with metal beams and wire fencing. The crevice extends back a short distance before turning and rising to the left, where there is a small opening in the cliff. Do not enter this area; the cave part of the structure is closed to the public.

In this cave, in others, or along the trail, you may see coconuts that have been tied to roots or rocks. The partially severed coconuts, with the meat exposed, serve as lures for coconut crabs, which are a food source for the Chamorros. Gathering of food resources from the reef and shoreline areas is allowed by law, so please do not disturb any coconut lures that you may find.

As you continue walking around the point, stay toward the rocks along shore to avoid the underbrush. The are limestone, part of an old coral and algae reef that was subsequently uplifted along with the island. Notice how sharp and jagged the rocks are. A fall on these rocks would do serious damage to your skin, so be careful! Limestone is easily dissolved in carbonic acid. Rainwater mixed with a little carbon dioxide from the air creates a weak form of this acid (any carbonated soft drink is stronger). When raindrops hit the limestone over hundreds of years, little bits of the rock are dissolved, leaving the little sharp, jagged peaks that make the rocks an uncomfortable resting place.

The prominently undercut rocks along the shore have been sculpted by high tides and storm surges. Periodically high water dissolves the lower portion of the limestone rocks, undercutting the cliff. Eventually, the upper portion breaks away, maybe during a storm or an earthquake, and falls into the sea—an example of how the rocky coastline is continually changing.

Where you see a large undercut rock on the left which at high tide will be a tiny island, the trail goes away from the water slightly. As the trail goes up into the rocky area, notice a large tree on the right that has been killed by a strangler fig, also called banyon or nunu. The fig begins growing as a vine, then sends down many roots which eventually envelope and kill the host tree. This is a common occurrence in jungles because the plants are competing for light at the top of the vegetation canopy. The best way for the vine to get "its place in the sun" is to take it away from an existing tree.

Gun Emplacement #2

The trail goes between the large rocks you see ahead. When the trail again reaches a beach area, it turns sharply inland where it will lead you to a second fortification. In a shallow cave behind an angled concrete wall is an other gun base mount. This cave structure has also been reinforced with metal beams and wire. A glance at the ceiling of the cave will tell you why! The cave extends up to the hilltop (you saw it from the trail as you climbed the hill), but the rocks are unstable and dangerous. Entering beyond the gun mount area could cause injury to yourself or irreparable damage to the historic site. Please do not climb!

Near the entrance to this cave is a large tree with large and deeply cut (lobate) leaves. This is one of many types of breadfruit, valuable as food crop in the tropics. The ship Bounty was on a mission of procuring and disseminating breadfruit when the infamous mutiny occurred. This particular species is seedless and must be propagated and spread with human help.

Along the shore, watch for hermit crabs. A hermit crab uses an empty shell as a home, carrying it alone on its back, the original "backpacker." As the crab gets bigger and outgrows its home, it just finds a larger shell. These are the shells that you see "walking" along the rocks and sand. When threatened, the crab pulls back into the protection of the shell.

You might also find some dead coral on the beach or among the rocks. It looks like a bunch of tiny tubes. Each tube is the external skeleton of the coral animals. Please look but leave all coral in place. Even dead coral is important to the ecosystem and is protected by law. Near the end of Asan Point lies Camel Rock. According to Chamorro legend, a long time ago, a council of clan chiefs decided to block Agana Bay against invasion with a huge rock. The task was ultimately given to two four-year-old boys of the strongest clan. As the two boys were carrying the rock from Orote Point, they saw a star which they mistook for Venus, the harbinger of dawn. Because they were not supposed to be outside when it was daylight, they dropped the rock where you see it in Asan lagoon and hurried home. Because the rock was never taken to Agana Bay, the invaders successfully landed and remained to intermarry with the local population.

Last Updated: 01-Apr-2004