Japanese occupation of Singapore

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Japanese-occupied Singapore Syonanto 昭南島 Shōnantō
1942–1945
National flag Imperial Japanese Army war flag
Britain surrenders Singapore to the Japanese. Lieutenant-General Yamashita (seated, third from the left) faces Lt. Gen. Percival (sitting second from the right, back to camera)
Status	Military occupation by the Empire of Japan
Capital	Singapore
Government	Military occupation
Historical era	World War II
• Pacific War begins	8 December 1941a
• Britain surrenders Singapore to Japan	15 February 1942
• Allied bombing raids	Nov 1944 – May 1945
• Surrender of Japan	15 August 1945
• Singapore surrendered to British Military Administration	12 September 1945
• Singapore becomes a Crown colony	1 April 1946
Currency	Japanese-issued dollar ("Banana money")
Preceded by Succeeded by Straits Settlements British Military Administration (Malaya)
Today part of	Singapore
The Pacific War started on 8 December 1941 in Asian timezones, but is often referred to as starting on 7 December, as that was the date in European and American timezones (such as for the attack on Pearl Harbor in the United States' Territory of Hawaii).

Part of a series on the
History of Singapore
Early history (pre-1819) Srivijaya 650–1377 Temasek c. 14th century Kingdom of Singapura 1299–1398 Malacca Sultanate 1400–1511 Johor Sultanate 1528-1819
British colonial era (1819–1942) Founding 1819–26 Straits Settlements 1826–67 Crown colony 1867–1942
Japanese Occupation (1942–45) Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942
Post-war period (1945–62) First Legislative Council 1948–51 Maria Hertogh riots 1950 Second Legislative Council 1951–55 Anti-National Service Riots 1954
Internal self-government (1955–63) Hock Lee bus riots 1955
Merger with Malaysia (1963–65) Singaporean referendum 1962 Operation Coldstore 1963 Race riots in Singapore 1964 MacDonald House bombing 1965
Republic of Singapore (1965–present) ASEAN Declaration (ASEAN) 1967 1969 race riots of Singapore 1969 Singaporean haze crisis 1972–present Laju incident 1974 Operation Spectrum 1987 East Asian financial crisis 1997 Embassies attack plot 2001 SARS outbreak 2003 Little India riot 2013
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The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II took place from 1942 to 1945, following the fall of the British colony on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied it after defeating the combined British, Indian, Australian, and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore. The occupation was to become a major turning point in the histories of several nations, including those of Japan, Britain, and the then-colonial state of Singapore. Singapore was renamed Syonan-to (昭南島, Shōnan-tō), meaning "Light of the South Island".^[1][2]

Singapore was officially returned to British colonial rule on 12 September 1945, following the formal signing of the surrender instrument at the Municipal Building.

Events leading to the occupation[edit]

The Japanese captured all of Malaya during the Malayan Campaign in a little more than two months. The garrison defending Singapore surrendered on 15 February 1942, only a week after the invasion of the island commenced. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the fall of Singapore "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".^[3]

Life during the occupation[edit]

Time of terror[edit]

The Kempeitai (the Japanese military secret police), committed numerous atrocities towards the common people. They introduced the system of "Sook Ching", which means "purge through purification" in Chinese, to get rid of those deemed to be anti-Japanese. The Sook Ching Massacre claimed the lives of between 25,000 and 50,000 ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaya. These men were rounded up and taken to deserted spots around the island and killed systematically. Moreover, the Kempeitai established a network of informants around the island to help them identify anti-Japanese. These informers were well-paid by the Kempeitai and had no fear of being arrested. Japanese soldiers patrolled the streets and commoners had to bow to them when they passed by. Those who failed to do so would be slapped, punished, beaten and some people would even be taken away.

Other changes made while Singapore was Syonan-to[edit]

To discourage Western influence, the Japanese set up schools and forced people to learn their language (Japanese). Textbooks were printed in Japanese. Every morning, children had to stand facing the direction of Japan and sing the Japanese national anthem ("Kimigayo").

Scarcity of basic needs[edit]

"Banana money" was issued during the war

Resources were scarce during the occupation. The prices of basic necessities increased drastically due to hyperinflation. For example, the price of rice increased from $5 per 100 catties (about 60 g or 0.13 lb) to $5,000 by the end of the occupation. The Japanese issued ration cards, also known as "Peace living Certificates"^[4] to limit the amount of resources received by the civilian population. Adults could purchase 5 kg (11 lb) of rice per month and 2 kg (4.4 lb) for children. The amount of rice for adults was reduced by 25% as the war progressed.^[5]

The Japanese issued banana money as their main currency since Straits currency became rare. They instituted elements of a command economy in which there were restrictions on the demand and supply of resources, thus creating a popular black market. The "banana currency" started to suffer from high inflation and dropped drastically in value because the authorities would simply print more whenever they needed it; consequently the black market often used Straits currency.

Food quality and availability decreased greatly. Sweet potatoes and yams became the staple food of most diets of Singaporeans because they were considerably cheaper than rice and could also be grown in gardens. They were then turned into a variety of dishes, as both dessert and all were used in all three meals of the day. The nutrients helped to fend starvation off; new ways of consuming tapioca with other products were regularly invented to stave off the monotony. Both of the British and Japanese authorities encouraged the population to grow their own food even if they had the smallest amount of land. The encouragement and produces were similar to what occurred with victory gardens in the Western nations during World War II.^[6] Ipomoea aquatica, which grew relatively easy and flourished relatively well near the water and became a popular crop just as it did to the other "vegetables."

Education[edit]

After taking Singapore, the Japanese established the Shonan Japanese School (昭南日本学園, Shōnan Nihon Gakuen), to educate Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians in the Japanese language. Faye Yuan Kleeman, the author of Under an Imperial Sun: Japanese Colonial Literature of Taiwan and the South wrote that it was the most successful of such schools in Southeast Asia.^[7] During the occupation, the Japanese had also opened the Shonan First People's School.^[8]

Allied attacks[edit]

Ivan Lyon (centre) celebrating with two other members of Z Force following the success of Operation Jaywick

Singapore was the target of various operations masterminded by Allied forces to disrupt Japanese military activities. On 26 September 1943, an Allied commando unit known as Z Force led by Major Ivan Lyon infiltrated Singapore Harbour and sank or damaged seven Japanese ships comprising over 39,000 long tons (40,000 metric tons). Lyon led another operation, codenamed "Rimau", with the same objective almost a year later and sank three ships. Lyon and 13 of his men were killed fighting the Japanese. The other 10 men who participated in the operation were captured, charged with espionage in a kangaroo court and subsequently executed.

Lim Bo Seng of Force 136 led another operation, code-named Gustavus, he recruited and trained hundreds of secret agents through intensive military intelligence missions from China and India. He set up the Sino-British guerrilla task force Force 136 in 1942 with Captain John Davis of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Operation Gustavus was aimed at establishing an espionage network in Malaya and Singapore to gather intelligence about Japanese activities, and thereby aid the British in Operation Zipper – the code name for their plan to take back Singapore from the Japanese. Force 136 was eventually disbanded after the war.

In August 1945, two midget submarines of the Royal Navy took part in Operation Struggle, a plan to infiltrate Singapore Harbour and sabotage the Japanese cruisers Takao and Myōkō using limpet mines. They inflicted heavy damage on Takao, earning Lieutenant Ian Edward Fraser the Victoria Cross. From November 1944 to May 1945, Singapore was subjected to air raids by British and American long-range bomber units.

Naval facilities and docks in Singapore were also bombed on eleven occasions by American air units between November 1944 and May 1945. These attacks caused some damage to their targets but also killed a number of civilians. Most Singaporeans, however, welcomed the raids as they were seen as heralding Singapore's liberation from Japanese rule.

End of the occupation[edit]

The Japanese delegation leaves the Municipal Building after the surrender ceremony on 12 September 1945

A cheering crowd welcome the return of British forces on 5 September 1945

On August 6, 1945, the United States detonated an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Sixteen hours later, American President Harry S. Truman called again for Japan's surrender, warning them to "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth." August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on and on August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union invaded the Imperial Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. Later in the day, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb, this time on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Following these events, Emperor Hirohito intervened and ordered the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War to accept the terms the Allies had set down in the Potsdam Declaration for ending the war. After several more days of behind-the-scenes negotiations and a failed coup d'état, Emperor Hirohito gave a recorded radio address across the Empire on August 15. In the radio address, called the Jewel Voice Broadcast (玉音放送 Gyokuon-hōsō), he announced the surrender of Japan to the Allies.

The surrender ceremony was held on September 2, aboard the United States Navy battleship USS Missouri, at which officials from the Japanese government signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, thereby ending the hostilities.

On September 12, 1945 a surrender instrument was signed at the Municipal Building. This was followed by a celebration at the Padang, which included a victory parade. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia Command, came to Singapore to receive the formal surrender of the Japanese forces in the region from General Seishirō Itagaki on behalf of General Hisaichi Terauchi. A British military administration used surrendered Japanese troops as security forces was formed to govern the island until March 1946.

After the Japanese surrendered, there was a state of anomie in Singapore, as the British had not yet arrived to take control. The Japanese occupiers had a considerably weakened hold over the populace. There were widespread incidents of looting and revenge-killing. Much of the infrastructure had been wrecked, including the harbour facilities and electricity, water supply and telephone services. It took four or five years for the economy to return to pre-war levels. When British troops finally arrived they were met with cheering and fanfare.

Banana money became worthless after the occupation ended.

Memorials[edit]

The Civilian War Memorial in the War Memorial Park at Beach Road. The four columns are a symbolic representation of the four major races of Singapore, namely the Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians.

The Sook Ching Centre Monument at Hong Lim Complex in Chinatown

To keep alive the memory of the Japanese occupation and its lessons learned for future generations, the Singapore government erected several memorials with some at the former massacre sites:

Civilian War Memorial[edit]

Spearheaded and managed by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Civilian War Memorial is located in the War Memorial Park at Beach Road. Comprising four white concrete columns, this 61 meters tall memorial commemorates the civilian dead of all races. It was built after thousands of remains were discovered all over Singapore during the urban redevelopment boom in the early 1960s. The memorial was officially unveiled by Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on the 25th anniversary of the start of the Japanese occupation in 1967.^[9] It was constructed with part of the S$50 million 'blood debt' compensation paid by the Japanese government in October 1966.^[9] Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Lee said:

We meet to remember the men and women who were the hapless victims of one of the fires of history... If today we remember these lessons of the past, we strengthen our resolve and determination to make our future more secure then these men and women for whom we mourn would not have died in vain.^[9]

On 15 February every year, memorial services (opened to the public) are held at the memorial.

Sook Ching Centre Monument[edit]

The site of this monument lies within the compound of Hong Lim Complex in Chinatown. The inscription on the monument reads:

Changi Beach Massacre Monument[edit]

The site of this monument is located in Changi Beach Park (near Camp Site 2) in the eastern part of Singapore. The inscription on the monument reads:

Punggol Beach Massacre Monument[edit]

The site of this monument is located off Punggol Road in northeastern Singapore. The inscription on the monument reads:

Popular culture[edit]

The Japanese occupation of Singapore has been depicted in media and popular culture, including films, television series and books

Film[edit]

• Leftenan Adnan (2000), a Malaysian film set in the Battle of Singapore

Television series[edit]

• Early episodes of Tenko, a BBC/ABC production.
• The Heroes (1988), an Australian-British co-production.
• Heroes II: The Return (1991), an Australian miniseries.
• The Last Rhythm (1996), a Chinese language series produced by the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS).
• The Price of Peace (1997), produced by the TCS.
• A War Diary (2001), produced by MediaCorp.
• In Pursuit of Peace (2001), produced by MediaCorp.
• Changi (2001), produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
• The Journey: Tumultuous Times (2014), produced by MediaCorp.

List of monuments and historical sites[edit]

• Civilian War Memorial
• Kranji War Memorial and Cemetery
• Changi Chapel and Museum
• YMCA on Orchard Road
• Alexandra Hospital grounds
• Old Ford Motor Factory

See also[edit]

• History of Singapore
• Japanese occupation of Malaya
• Japanese occupation of British Borneo
• Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
• Bombing of Singapore (1944–1945)
• List of years in Singapore

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Fall of Malaya and Singapore, a detailed history of the Battle of Singapore.