The Valley of the Latte, nestled on the banks of the Talofofo River, represents thousands of years of Chamorro culture and history. The first signs of life have been carbon dated back to 206 BC. Fast-forward to 1944, a young soldier from the Japanese Imperial Army, Soichi Yokoi.
Instead of surrendering to American Liberation Forces landing on Guam, he and two of his comrades sought refuge in the Talofofo and Bubulao Valley until their mother country would come and rescue them.
28 years later in 1972 Talofofo Residents Jose Duenas and Manuel Degracia capture one of the last surviving Japanese stragglers Soichi Yokoi and bring him to the Surfside Cafe for interrogation, the present day Valley of the Latte Giftshop. The repatriation of Yokoi to his home country of Japan was a historic milestone for the island in connection to World War II.
Today, 76 years after the Liberation of Guam, the Talofofo River Valley, has become the iconic location where CHamoru culture and history is brought to life every single day and shared with visitors from Yigo to Japan, California to Korea, and many more throughout the world.
We strive to be the place chosen by the people of Guam to celebrate our culture and share the beauty of our island with all that visit. We are honored to have our cultural practitioners share and celebrate with us on the land where our ancestors lived and flourished.
We are also honored to have our I Tao Tao Ta, our Military Brothers and Sisters, and all our International Guests share with us in the celebration of our 76th Liberation at the Valley of the Latte.
We have endured a World War and we are now faced with another global challenge wreaking havoc on our people. But we are strong and resilient and will overcome once more, all the challenges placed before us. We are proud to be a part of the Talofofo and Southern Guam community.
