Kammala wannan jumlar: A lokacin da Jafananci suka mamaye Dutch East Indies, Riau ya zama ɗaya daga cikin manyan maƙasudin da za a mamaye. Sojojin Japan sun mamaye Rengat a ranar 31 ga Maris, 1942. Ba da daɗewa ba, ƙasar Riau ta zama ƙarƙashin Jafananci. Ofaya daga cikin abubuwan tarihi na mamayar Jafananci shine layin dogo mai nisan kilomita 220 wanda ya haɗa Muaro Sijunjung a Yammacin Sumatra da Pekanbaru, wanda kuma aka sani da Pekanbaru Death Railway wanda yanzu aka watsar. Daruruwan dubban mutanen Riau sun tilasta wa sojojin Japan yin aiki don kammala wannan aikin. Japan ta jagoranci gina kilomita 220 na layin dogo daga Pekanbaru zuwa Malacca Strait ta amfani da aikin tilas da fursunonin yaki. An gudanar da wannan ci gaban har tsawon watanni 15 ta cikin tsaunuka, da fadama da koguna masu saurin gudana. Sojojin Japan sun tattara fursunonin yaƙi na Dutch 6,500 (galibi 'yan Indo-Turai) da Birtaniyya da fiye da 100,000 na Indonesiya (galibi Javanese). Sa'ad da aka kammala aikin a watan Agusta na shekara ta 1945, kusan kashi ɗaya cikin uku na fursunonin yaƙi na Turai da kuma fiye da rabin 'yan Indonesiya sun mutu. An tsara layin dogo ne a matsayin matsakaici don jigilar kwal da sojoji daga Pekanbaru zuwa Muaro Sijunjung a yammacin Sumatra. An kammala ginin layin dogo a ranar 15 ga Agusta, 1945, lokacin da
Jafananci sun mika wuya. An yi amfani da wannan hanyar jirgin kasa sau ɗaya kawai don fitar da fursunonin yaƙi daga yankin, sannan kuma aka watsar da shi.