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Once the shock of finding out we were relocating from Memphis, Tennessee to Saipan wore off, I spent the next several days doing as much research as I could on our new island home. Turns out all those hours on Google/Youtube/Reddit/Pinterest amounted to not much information at all.

For a myriad of reasons, Saipan is a little shut off from the outside world in terms of finding out much about day to day living on the island. Even getting recent pictures from Google Earth was a challenge.

Once I moved here and got the opportunity to get to know the feel of the island better, I realized what a shame it is that Saipan isn’t on more people’s radars. With that in mind, I set out to bring you this monthly column that features what makes this island so unique, and a definite must on your travel bucket list.

This month I’m going to be telling you about the two most iconic spots on the entire island, Banzai Cliff, and Suicide Cliff. Don’t let the names fool you! They are perfectly safe to visit and have some of the greatest views Saipan has to offer. Come along as we explore them together!

The story of the cliffs is a very sad one.

Japan had colonized Saipan prior to WWI and turned the island into a sugar cane colony. Once World War II began, Saipan fell under Japanese control. The Ally Forces realized that this island was very strategic because they could reach Japan flying from the airfield here. The Battle of Saipan began in mid-June, 1944 and lasted for 39 days until July 9th. It was a grisly battle, in which ultimately the Americans won.

The Japanese had pushed a lot of propaganda on to the locals of this island, in particular, the Japanese who lived here. They were told that the American forces would kill them, rape the women, and eat their children if they were caught.

Even though the American forces managed to convince some people that they were there to save them through the use of translators, that message wasn’t heard by many locals. They chose to jump to their deaths off Suicide Cliff and Banzai Cliff.

As many as 8000 people – mostly women and children jumped to their deaths. To this day their bodies are still being recovered in the jungle beneath Suicide Cliff.

We made a video as we spent the afternoon visiting Saipan’s most notorious landmarks. I hope you enjoy! If you do, please like, comment, and subscribe!

http://https://youtu.be/fQvhpdBwsoo

I say “Asian battle” when what I mean is the “Pacific Theater”. I know, y’all. Bad, bad military wife. And I say “1945”. What I should have said was “1944”. Watching these videos makes me realize I need a scriptwriter. Any takers?

If you can’t watch the video, or would rather just see the highlights – here is what you missed:

Looking down from Suicide Cliff. There are large cacti all around the perimeter of the cliff. As you look towards the Philippine Sea, you can see Banzai Cliff below.

The mountain sustained heavy artillery damage during the Battle of Saipan. This “cave” was most likely formed by artillery rounds fired from ships out in the ocean.

Though Banzai Cliff is beautiful to look at, it is a solemn place to visit. Thousands of people threw themselves and their children to their deaths off these cliffs. Please be respectful as you visit.

And for an extra bonus as a thank you for reading this far – let me show you what I consider to be the unofficial mascot of Saipan:

The tourists here love sports cars with wings. Especially if the cars are any shade of pink or yellow. Last week I saw a metallic gold Mustang roll by and it nearly blinded me from the reflection on its body! The irony is the top speed on the island is 45 MPH, so those beauties don’t even really get to open up and let loose.

Update: I spotted the gold Mustang! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Saipan Mascot:

I hope you enjoyed our tour of Saipan’s most iconic historical monuments. Though the story is a terribly tragic and serves as a testimony to the power of propaganda, Banzai Cliff and Suicide Cliff are Saipan’s pride and joy. The views from them are the absolute best on the island – which is saying a lot seeing as there isn’t a bad view anywhere you look around Saipan.

To see even more pictures from Banzai Cliff and Suicide Cliff and even more pictures of Saipan, go check out my Instagram here.

Have you ever visited any of the monuments to WWII in the Pacific? Or do you prefer your sports cars to be cotton candy-colored? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love it if you pinned me!