Chapter 6: What Did the People in Singapore Experience During the Japanese Occupation

Question 1

How long did the Japanese occupy Singapore for?

Answer 1

15 February 1942 to 12 September 1945

Question 2

What was Singapore renamed to?

Answer 2

Syonan-to

Question 3

What were the 2 methods the Japanese used to control Singapore?

Answer 3

Using force, winning loyalty

Question 4

What were some things the Japanese did under the ‘Using Force’ method?

Answer 4

Harsh punishments, imprisoning allied soldiers, Operation Sook Ching, coercing the Chinese Business Community (CBC)

Question 5

Why did the Japanese execute those who were caught looting publicly?

Answer 5

• Severe warnings to people in SG about the potential consequences of defying/ going against the Japanese.

Question 6

Who were the ‘Kempeitai’?

Answer 6

The Japanese military police.

Question 7

What were the Kempeitai’s job?

Answer 7

They arrested those who were suspected of being anti-Japanese.

Question 8

Why did people in Singapore get suspicious of one another?

Answer 8

The Kempeitai offered food and cash rewards to encourage people to inform the authorities if they suspected anyone of being anti-Japanese.

Question 9

What would the Japanese do to get a confession out of the detainees?

Answer 9

They would torture or beat them up.

Question 10

How did people in Singapore act after awhile? ( Harsh Punishments)

Answer 10

They went about their business quietly and did not appear disobedient as they were scared of drawing the attention of Japanese authorities.

Question 11

What races were considered as the allied soldiers?

Answer 11

British, Australians and the Allied Europeans.

Question 12

What was the first thing the Japanese did when they occupied Singapore? ( Allied Soldiers)

Answer 12

They not only imprisoned the allied soldiers, but women and children too

Question 13

What were the POWs made to do publicly?

Answer 13

They were forced to march in public from Bukit Timah Road to Changi Prison.

Question 14

What was Operation Sook Ching for?

Answer 14

The Japanese aimed to identify and eliminate anti-Japanese elements among the local population. They also wanted to get rid of the Chinese.

Question 14

Why did the Japanese hate the Chinese?

Answer 14

The Chinese supported China when Japan invaded them in 1937 by boycotting Japanese goods and they also contributed funds to China efforts against Japan.

Question 15

What were the screening centres for?

Answer 15

They would have an interview with Japanese soldiers. Informants participated in the interview as well.

Question 15

What did the informants do in the interview?

Answer 15

They identified people who were suspicious and who weren’t and passed on the info to the Kempeitai

Question 16

What traits were the informants looking for?

Answer 16

1. Secret society members with tattoos
2. Former Chinese civil servants and journalists

Question 17

Why did they look out for these traits?

Answer 17

People with these traits were thought to have stronger links with China and were seen to be more resistant to the Japanese

Question 18

Why did the Japanese target Chinese businessmen?

Answer 18

They had generously contributed to the China Relief Fund, which supported China’s resistance against Japan

Question 19

What was the punishment for the Chinese businessmen?

Answer 19

They had to gift 50 straits dollars to the Japanese administration.

Question 20

What were some of the methods the Japanese used under ‘Winning Loyalty’?

Answer 20

Using propaganda, providing benefits to the locals, imposing Japanese culture.`

Question 21

Why did the Japanese use propaganda?

Answer 21

To influence the minds of the people in Singapore and gain their loyalty.

Question 22

What benefits did the Japanese give to win local support?

Answer 22

They made education and housing free. They gave favourable treatment to some ethnic groups.

Question 22

What are some examples of favourable treatment given to the Malays and Indians?

Answer 22

Malays were treated less harshly, the Japanese distributed rice, sugar and salt to the less fortunate for Hari Raya Puasa, Malays and Indians were charged lower fees than the Chinese to cross the Causeway

Question 22

How did the Japanese portray themselves? (Propaganda)

Answer 22

They portrayed themselves as liberators, coming to free Asians from colonial rule.

Question 22

Why did the Japanese use propaganda to get the Indian community to look upon Japanese rule favourably?

Answer 22

They wanted to take advantage that they were colonized by Britain and some Indians were anti-British.

Question 23

How did the Japanese get most of the Indians support?

Answer 23

They promised to help free India from the British and even formed the INA to recruit Indians to fight against the British in India.

Question 23

What propaganda did the Japanese use against the Malay?

Answer 23

They promised better lives for Malays under Asian power.

Question 24

How did the Japanese try to win loyalty by imposing Japanese culture?

Answer 24

They immersed the locals in the traditions of Japan. They also hoped to inspire the Singapore population with Japanese spirit.

Question 25

What were the 2 ways in which the Japanese promoted their culture?

Answer 25

They taught the Japanese language and cultivated the Japanese spirit

Question 26

How did students learn Japanese?

Answer 26

The lessons were conducted daily over the school’s broadcasting services. They were provided with a series of Nippon-go readers for beginners.

Question 27

What was special about the Nippon-go textbooks?

Answer 27

They were full of praise for the beauty and greatness of Japan.1

Question 28

How did the Japanese motivate adults to learn Japanese?

Answer 28

They used competitions, awards, extra rations, salary increments and promotions.

Question 29

Why did the Japanese want to cultivate the Japanese spirit?

Answer 29

To foster a sense of loyalty and identity

Question 30

How did the Japanese cultivate the Japanese spirit?

Answer 30

Students had to sing the Japanese national anthem, bow before the picture of the Japanese emperor, sing Japanese folk songs, doing daily mass exercises.

Question 31

Why did Singapore have to deal with shortages?

Answer 31

War disrupted trade, limiting the import of goods into Singapore from overseas. Most of the available resources were channelled to Japan’s war efforts rather than to the people.

Question 32

What was needed when there was a food shortage?

Answer 32

Rationing was needed and the locals were limited to a fixed amount of essential items.

Question 33

How did they obtain the essential items?

Answer 33

By ration coupons.

Question 34

What happened to the price of items sold after the shortage of items?

Answer 34

Prices had gone up drastically.

Question 35

Why had prices gone up?

Answer 35

Shops did not have enough goods to cater to the needs of the people due to the shortage

Question 36

How did the Japanese government respond to these high prices?

Answer 36

They printed more money.

Question 36

What happened when the Japanese printed more money?

Answer 36

The notes had a massive drop in value.

Question 36

What happened to the death rate?

Answer 36

The death rate climbed.

Question 37

What group endured harsh living conditions?

Answer 37

POWs and civilian prisoners.

Question 37

What happened to the healthcare and sanitation during the Japanese occupation?

Answer 37

It worsened.

Question 38

What were the harsh living conditions that POWs and civilian prisoners endured?

Answer 38

Continual shortages of food and medicine, and acute overcrowding.

Question 39

What was part of the forced labour that the Japanese make the POWs do?

Answer 39

They were made to bury the dead, clear war damage, build Japanese memorial shrines and worked on the Siam-Burma Railway.

Question 40

Why were people in Singapore encouraged to grow their own food?

Answer 40

The rationed food did not include enough variety and vitamins needed for survival.

Question 41

Why did the Japanese resort to relocate people from Singapore?

Answer 41

The growing of your own food failed to ease the food shortage.

Question 42

Why were the Chinese encouraged to move to the Endau settlement in Johor?

Answer 42

The soil there was rich and the water supply was ample, making it suitable for agriculture.

Question 43

What disrupted the peace in Endau?

Answer 43

Bandits and anti-Japanese guerillas attacks.

Question 44

Who was the Bahau settlement created for?

Answer 44

Eurasians and Chinese Roman Catholics.

Question 45

What were the characteristics of Bahau?

Answer 45

The land there was too hilly and the soil was too poor to support agriculture.

Question 46

Why did the Japanese have free open-air screenings of propaganda shows?

Answer 46

To ensure that everyone would be able to watch it as they did not need to waste money. This way, they could spread more propaganda.

Question 47

Why did the Japanese officials encourage sports and cultural activities to the local population?

Answer 47

To reduce stress of wartime conditions.

Question 48

How did the POWs keep their spirits up?

Answer 48

They organized and participated in social, religious and sporting activities.