Mass Grave of Japanese Soldiers Found on Tinian in Northern Mariana Islands; WWII Remains of 86 People Recovered

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:24 JST, January 9, 2026

A mass burial site for Japanese soldiers created by U.S. forces has been found on Tinian, an island in the Northern Marianas that became a fierce battleground during World War II. The site was found through a survey by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

U.S. records — which led to the grave’s discovery — indicate 140 bodies were buried there, and the health ministry has already recovered the remains of 86 people.

This is the first discovery of a mass burial site on the island. The records also indicate another burial site for 308 people nearby, which has prompted the ministry to keep investigating.

About 15,500 soldiers were believed to have died on Tinian, with 4,970 bodies still unaccounted for.

The mass burial was discovered in a wooded area in a zone controlled by the U.S. military in the island’s northwest. In fiscal 2011, the ministry obtained records from the U.S. National Archives that included a list of mass burials created by the U.S. military on Pacific islands. Based on these records, a survey in April and May 2025 found two sets of remains, and the ministry has since recovered an additional 84 sets. Some of the individuals may be civilians.

Courtesy of Japan Association for Recovery and Repatriation of War Casualties

Remains are recovered at a mass burial site on Tinian Island in September.