Chapter 6 What was Daily Life like Under the Japanese?

Question 1

1. Dealing with Shortages
   What was daily life like under the Japanese?

Answer 1

Context (Why food shortage?)
1) Trade disrupted by war
2) Japanese take away for their military

Impact (Limited food supply)
*Rationing-> limit how much food is being sold
1) Food decrease-> Price increase
2) Black Market -> Prices increase
3) Banana Noted -> Print too much -> Value of paper money decrease
As a result, food is unaffordable

Question 2

2. Disease and Death
   What was daily life like under the Japanese?

Answer 2

1) healthcare and sanitation worsen
2) harsh living conditions
-> forced to do manual labour & little food
-> many died building the Death Railway (linking Burma and Thailand)
*overworked, little food, healthcare bad -> 16000 dead

Question 3

3. Relocation
   What was daily life like under the Japanese?

Answer 3

1) encouraged to grow own food (self sufficient)
2) encouraged to move to Endau (in Johor) and Bahau settlement (in Negeri Sembilan)
3) land too hilly, soil too poor -> no agriculture -> people perish from starvation

Question 4

4. Leisure and Entertainment
   What was daily life like under the Japanese?

Answer 4

1) radio programs (Japanese songs, Malay music, Chinese news) & Japanese movies (propaganda)
2) encourage sport and cultural activities (ballgame matched in media everyday)
3) locals organise own social, religious, cultural activities -> keep their spirits up
*distract people from their misery-> like the government-> no resistance