Mount Hachimen
Mount Hachimen is a mesa in Nakatsu, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Its elevation is 659.4 meter. It is the most prominent mountain in Nakatsu and is seen as a symbol of the city.
As it is said that the mountain looks the same from every direction, it was given the name Hachimen-zan. It is also sometimes called Yayama due to the arrow bamboo that once grew on the mountain.
Hachimenzan Peace Park
On May 7, 1945, a USAAF B-29 bomber aircraft, which was taking part in a raid on an Imperial Japanese airbase in Usa, Ōita was rammed by a Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu. The B-29 crashed into Mount Hachimen, killing eight of the eleven-person crew. The Japanese Toryu also crashed, killing the pilot. The three surviving airmen of the B-29, who had parachuted out, were captured and sent to the Western District Army headquarters in Fukuoka. They are believed to have been executed on June 20, 1945.On May 7, 1970, the 25th anniversary of the crash, a memorial for the lost airmen was erected at the crash site and a ceremony was held. The site is now Hachimenzan Peace Park . A memorial event is held at the park annually on May 3. In 1993, an eternal flame was lit at the park using a flame from Hoshino Village, Fukuoka's "Flame of Peace." There is also a preserved JASDF F-86 Sabre fighter at the park.