Japanese Occupation of Singapore
The
Japanese Occupation of Singapore refers to the point in time in the
history of Singapore between
1942 and
1945 when
Japanese forces occupied Singapore during
World War II, after having defeated the combined
British,
Indian and
Malayan garrison. The occupation was to become a major turning point in the history of several nations, including that of Japan, the
United Kingdom, and to the then colony of
Singapore itself. Singapore was renamed
Syonan-to (昭南島
Shōnan-tō, "Light of the South Island" in
Japanese) by the Japanese.
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Lt Gen Yamashita (seated, centre) thumps the table with his fist to emphasize his terms — unconditional surrender. Lt. Gen Percival. sits between his officers, his clenched hand to his mouth. |
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Victorious Japanese troops march through the City centre. (Photo from Imperial War Museum) |
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Banana money was issued during the war, and would become worthless after the war was over. |
The Japanese, who sought to gain control of
South-east Asia in World War II, had overrun the
Malay Peninsula in the
Battle of Malaya with the main intent of occupying Singapore to gain greater control over her war-time resource gathering efforts, as it was a strategic port and the lynchpin of the
American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM). After having taken all of
Malaya in under a month, the garrison defending Singapore surrendered only a week after the invasion of Singapore commenced.
Winston Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese on
15 February 1942 the "worst disaster" and "largest capitulation" in
British history.
The Japanese Occupation is generally regarded by Singaporeans as the darkest period of Singaporean history. The Japanese had claimed that they were liberating Southeast Asia from
colonialism, but in reality they were far harsher rulers than the British ever were. In addition to civilian casualties, numerous atrocities were committed by Japanese troops, particularly by the
Kempeitai, the Japanese military's
secret police, and the Japanese military's use of
rape and
comfort women. For instance, the
Sook Ching Massacre of
ethnic Chinese, including civilians who had donated to charities to aid the war effort in China, claimed between 25,000 and 50,000 lives in Malaya and Singapore.
Resources were scarce during the Occupation. The price of rice, for example had increased a thousandfold from five dollars per 100
catties of rice, or about 60 kilograms, to five thousand dollars. The Japanese issued
ration cards to control the amount of resources the population received: adults could purchase 4.8 kg of rice per month, and children 2.4 kg. The amount allowed for adults was reduced by 25% as the war progressed.
[ ] The Japanese issued
banana money as their main currency, giving them further control over the economy as Straits currency became rare. In this sense, the Japanese instituted elements of a
command economy in which there were restrictions on how much could be bought or sold, creating a popular
black market. The "banana currency" started to suffer high
inflation and dropped drastically in value because the authorities would simply print more whenever they needed more money, and as such the black market often used Straits currency instead.
Food quality and availability decreased immensely.
Tapioca,
sweet potatoes and
yam became the
staple food of most diets of the population of Singapore because it was considerably cheaper than rice and could also be grown in
gardens. It was then turned into a variety of dishes, as both dessert, and all three meals of the day. The nutrients helped stave off
starvation, and new ways of consuming tapioca with other produce were regularly invented in order to stave off the monotony. Both the British and Japanese authorities encouraged the population to
grow their own food if they had even the smallest amount of land, the encouragement and produce were similar to what occurred with
Victory Gardens in the Western nations during World War II.
[ ] Ipomoea aquatica, which grew relatively easy and flourished relatively well near the water became a popular crop, as well as other vegetables. It was not uncommon for bought food to be mixed with impurities or to be hard and difficult to eat, increasing the popularity of growing food at home.
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The Japanese delegation leaves the Municipal Building after the surrender ceremony on 12 September 1945. |
After Japan surrendered to the Allies on
August 15,
1945, there was a state of
anomie in Singapore, as the British had not arrived to take control, while the Japanese occupiers had a considerably weakened hold over the populace. Incidents of
looting and
revenge-killing were widespread. Much of the infrastructure had been wrecked, including the harbor facilities and
electricity,
water supply, and
telephone services. It would take four or five years for the economy to return to pre-war levels. When the British finally arrived, they were met with a cheering crowd and fanfare.
Banana money quickly became absolutely worthless after the Occupation ended, and many individuals whose wealth had been mostly in such currency found themselves penniless overnight.
Although the British had been welcomed back into Singapore, the fact remained that the British had failed to defend Singapore, and in the eyes of many Singaporeans this had cost them their credibility as infallible rulers. The decades after the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of
nationalist and
anti-colonial sentiments. Hence, the Japanese Occupation caused the path to eventual
independence to be greatly accelerated, as public confidence in the ability of their British leaders in protecting them and their ways of life crumbled.
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History of SingaporeCitations
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Fall of Malaya and Singapore A detailed history of the Battle of Singapore.
