Misplaced Pages

The Unai Lagua Japanese Defense Pillbox is one of the more unusual surviving World War II-era Japanese fortifications on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is located at the southern end of Unai Lagua (Parrot Fish Beach), which stretches along the northern shore of the island. The pillbox is fashioned out of poured concrete and coral boulders, and uses natural rock formations as part of its walls. This construction was necessitated by a severe shortage of building materials on the island as the Japanese prepared the island's defenses against the advancing Allied forces in 1943–44. The use of natural materials and terrain had the added benefit of rendering the position nearly invisible to aerial or offshore observation.

The pillbox was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985; it is also a contributing element to the "Landing Beaches; Aslito/Isley Field; & Marpi Point, Saipan Island", a National Historic Landmark District encompassing surviving World War II military infrastructure on Saipan.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in the Northern Mariana Islands

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "NRHP nomination for Unai Lagua Japanese Defense Pillbox". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-04-28.

v t e National Register of Historic Places listings in the Northern Mariana Islands
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by municipality	Northern Islands No listings Rota Chudang Palii Japanese World War II Defensive Complex Chugai' Pictograph Site Commissioner's Office Dugi Archeological Site Japanese Coastal Defense Gun Japanese Hospital (Rota) Mochong Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill Rectory Rota Latte Stone Quarry Sapian Banzai Cliff Brown Beach One Japanese Fortifications Campaneyan Kristo Rai Chalan Galaide Hachiman Jinja Isley Field Historic District Japanese 20mm Cannon Blockhouse Japanese Hospital (Saipan) Japanese Jail Historic and Archeological District Japanese Lighthouse Landing Beaches; Aslito/Isely Field; & Marpi Point, Saipan Island Laulau Kattan Latte Site Mañagaha Sabanetan Toro Latte Site Suicide Cliff Tachognya Unai Achugao Archaeological Site Unai Lagua Japanese Defense Pillbox Unai Obyan Latte Site Waherak Maihar Tinian House of Taga Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha complex North Field Unai Dangkulo Petroglyph Site
Other lists	National Historic Landmarks
Category List NRHP portal

This article about a property in the Northern Mariana Islands on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in the Northern Mariana Islands
• Military installations established in 1943
• World War II on the National Register of Historic Places in the Northern Mariana Islands
• Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
• Pillboxes (military)
• Oceania Registered Historic Places stubs
• Northern Mariana Islands stubs