<000081#A parade to mark the first anniversary of the birth of Syonan-To, Feb 15, 1943. <001018 Syonan Shimbun<002000<003058#Another picture of Syonan-To's First Anniversary Parade. <004018 Syonan Shimbun<005000<006089#As part of the propaganda, poster drawing competitions were sometimes organized. This <007092#picture shows a display of the winning entries of the defence posters competition that was <008066#organized by the Gunseikanbu (Japanese Military Administration). <009018 Syonan Shimbun<010000<011084#The newly-installed Mayor of Syonan-To, Shigeo Odachi, walking up the steps of the <012021#Municipal Building. <013018 Syonan Shimbun<014000<015087#A one-hundred dollar "banana note" used in Syonan-To during the Japanese Occupation. <016084#"Banana notes" were introduced by the Japanese and derived their nickname from the <017038#pictures painted on the dollar face. <018072 Tan Teck Seng Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<019000<020090#A ten dollar "banana note" used in Syonan-To during the Japanese Occupation. The wartime <021087#economy of Singapore experienced severe inflation, and the "banana notes" soon became <022028#worthless pieces of paper. <023072 Tan Teck Seng Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<024000<025095#A staff portrait of the Hisyo-Ka (Secretary's Department) of the Syonan Tokubetsu-Si (Special <026016#Municipality). <027018 Syonan Shimbun<028000<029091#With brutal punishment awaiting even the pettiest offender, the incidence of crime during <030048#the Japanese Occupation was kept to a minimum. <031053 Ronald Searle, courtesy of the Tessa Sayle Agency<032000<033097#In a bid to put a stop to looting, the Gunseikanbu (Japanese Military Administration) displayed <034091#the decapitated heads of looters at prominent places as a powerful warning to the general <035011#populace. <036049 Ma Jing, courtesy of Singapore History Museum<037000<038097#The public and grisly display of decapitated heads hoisted aloft on spikes in places like Dhoby <039065#Ghaut and Kallang Bridge frightened the people into submission. <040053 Ronald Searle, courtesy of the Tessa Sayle Agency<041000<042090#The Kempeitai (Military Police) was the most feared and hated of all the law enforcement <043095#agencies, a reputation gained not only from its primary role in the Sook Ching operation, but <044074#also from its brutal treatment of the people in everyday administration. <045034 National Archives of Singapore<046000<047092#It was said that even innocent people were not spared from the unmerciful brutality of the <048012#Kempeitai. <049060 Si Ma Chun Ying, Bitter Memories, 1994: Mr Chen XingTing<050000<051088#Stories abound of people who were asked to dig their own graves before being summarily <052007#shot. <053060 Si Ma Chun Ying, Bitter Memories, 1994: Mr Chen XingTing<054000<055087#One form of torture the Japanese used against suspected anti-Japanese elements was to <056054#leave the latter to drown in a barrel full of water. <057060 Si Ma Chun Ying, Bitter Memories, 1994: Mr Chen XingTing<058000<059093#The Kempeitai also operated its system of fear through its network of informers and spies. <060093#Plain clothes officers were assigned to mingle with the people in early 1942, and one never <061028#knew who could be trusted. <062018 Toshiro Ishibe<063000<064090#Shops in Syonan-To quickly replaced English signboards with Japanese ones under the "New <065009#Order". <066018 Syonan Shimbun<067000<068091#Passengers dutifully alight from a trolley-bus at North Bridge Road to observe silence as <069091#Japanese Premier Hideki Tojo paid homage before the consecrated remains of the late Fleet <070058#Admiral Yamamoto at the latter's State funeral in Tokyo. <071018 Syonan Shimbun<072000<073091#The Imperial Nippon Army band marching down High Street during the Army Day celebrations. <074018 Syonan Shimbun<075000<076095#Radio sets were confiscated from the public to keep the latter ignorant of adverse reports on <077028#the Japanese war campaign. <078060 Si Ma Chun Ying, Bitter Memories, 1994: Mr Chen XingTing<079000<080092#In April 1942, the police initiated the registration of families. Occupants deemed "proper <081085#residents" were issued a "Peace Living Certificate" or Ankyosyo. This was a way of <082034#monitoring the local population. <083071 Tay Yen Hoon Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<084000<085090#By April 1943, the Ankyosyo was replaced by a "census-taking list" which was kept at the <086064#police stations. Surprise checks were conducted on households. <087071 Tay Yen Hoon Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<088000<089090#Each family was given a ration card based on the number of household members recorded in <090025#the census-taking list. <091034 National Archives of Singapore<092000<093094#Any change in address had to be reported to the police and the "census-taking list" updated.*<094071 Tay Yen Hoon Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<095000<096085#The retailer's stamp on the back of the Ankyosyo or census-taking list ensured that <097059#consumers could not go elsewhere for another ration card.*<098071 Tay Yen Hoon Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<099000<100088#Food shortage was so severe in Syonan-To that people were even willing to queue up for <101013#stale food.*<102060 Si Ma Chun Ying, Bitter Memories, 1994: Mr Chen XingTing<103000<104090#A provision shop in Syonan-To during the Japanese Occupation, where all major food items <105030#had a price ceiling imposed.*<106020 Mainichi Shimbun<107000<108094#In order to make ends meet, people were seen trying to sell home-made cigarette rollers at a <109022#market in Syonan-To.*<110018 Syonan Shimbun<111000<112093#The Japanese Kaisha (Business Association) was put in place by the Gunseikanbu to take over <113060#businesses previously held by the British and the Chinese.*<114034 National Archives of Singapore<115000<116092#Endau was chosen as a new settlement for the Chinese. People brought here had to clear the <117098#jungle, mark out roads, provide transport and allocate plots to settlers. Despite the hardship, <118067#Endau could be said to have been a moderately successful project.*<119034 National Archives of Singapore<120000<121088#The Bahau new settlement project failed because many settlers were not farmers and the <122076#land was infertile. In addition, the area was prone to malaria outbreaks.*<123034 National Archives of Singapore<124000<125093#Bahau was allocated to the Eurasians and Roman Catholics of other races. The first batch of <126052#settlers for Bahau left Singapore on Dec 28, 1943.*<127018 Syonan Shimbun<128000<129088#A badge of the Auxiliary Police System (APS) which was formed in Sept 1942. Well-known <130096#civilians were pressed into service to assist the police in the preservation of law and order, <131072#and to bring shortages of foodstuffs to the notice of the authorities.*<132071 Syed Hussein Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<133000<134079#Bishop Devals led the Eurasian and Chinese Roman Catholic community at Bahau.*<135034 National Archives of Singapore<136000<137084#Mamoru Shinozaki headed the Tokubetsu-Si Kosei-Ka (Department for the Promotion of <138089#Well-being of the People) and acted as a bridge of communication between the locals and <139087#Japanese authorities. He became known for his attempts to help the local population.*<140092 Mamoru Shinozaki, Syonan - My Story: The Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Asia Pacific <141005Press<142000<143090#During the Japanese Occupation, the Propaganda Department operated from Cathay Building, <144093#and all publications, periodicals, newspapers, films, broadcasts and amusement grounds were <145027#placed under its control.*<146023 Imperial War Museum<147000<148090#Those who could afford an occasional outing would try to catch a movie. However, if they <149090#were unfortunate, the Japanese military authorities would raid these cinemas to round up <150023#youths for workgangs.*<151034 National Archives of Singapore<152000<153093#Besides war movies, romantic films such as "China Night" starring Lee Hsiang Lan, a popular <154060#actress and singer, proved to be popular among the people.*<155034 National Archives of Singapore<156000<157090#An award-winning defence poster in a contest organized by the Gunseikanbu, exhorting the <158032#local people to defend Malaya.*<159018 Syonan Shimbun<160000<161090#The Japanese exploited the most popular form of social entertainment in that era, namely <162092#movie-going. Japanese propaganda films,such as "The Union Jack Is Down," were screened in <163025#place of western films.*<164018 Syonan Shimbun<165000<166089#The poster for the Japanese propaganda movie "On to Singapore," which was promoted as a <167088#faithfully-rendered dramatic record of the Malayan Campaign and the British surrender.*<168034 National Archives of Singapore<169000<170058#The poster for the Chinese version of "On to Singapore".*<171034 National Archives of Singapore<172000<173085#The Syonan Times of Dec 3, 1942 reported that General Percival had acknowledged the <174086#superior forces of the Japanese army as the reason the British lost Malaya - another <175059#propaganda coup for the Japanese Military Administration.*<176018 Syonan Shimbun<177000<178087#Schools were slowly re-opened after the Japanese took control of the island, with the <179078#difference that the medium of instruction was Nippon-go (Japanese language).*<180018 Syonan Shimbun<181000<182085#The Gunseikanbu pursued a deliberate policy of popularizing Nippon-go (the Japanese <183083#language) as it was considered the most important tool to "Nipponize" the masses.*<184021 Nanyang Siang Pau<185000<186091#Through the use of the language, the Gunseikanbu believed that the local population would <187094#be assimilated into Japanese culture, but many locals learnt the language for more practical <188051#reasons, such as its perceived economic benefits.*<189075 Chuang Hui Tsuan Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<190000<191093#Singing lessons in the Japanese language were held in schools. School children were taught <192068#Japanese songs, including the Kimigayo (Japanese national anthem).*<193018 Syonan Shimbun<194000<195092#Certificates of language proficiency, such as this one, were issued to students who passed <196094#each stage of their education, from schools such as the Syonan Honganji, a private school at <197085#Oxley Rise, and the Syonan Nippon Gakuen (Syonan Japanese College) in Queen Street.*<198072 Soh Chuan Lam Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<199000<200089#The Syonan Nippon Gakuen was set up by the Gunseikanbu. A research class of the Syonan <201044#Nippon Gakuen poses for a picture in 1944.*<202072 Soh Chuan Lam Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<203000<204061#Students standing to attention at the Syonan Nippon Gakuen.*<205034 National Archives of Singapore<206000<207057#Front view of the Syonan Nippon Gakuen in Queen Street.*<208034 National Archives of Singapore<209000<210094#The Syonan Tokubetsu-Si Shihan Gakko, a school set up in 1943, had the dual role of training <211056#new language teachers and retraining experienced ones.*<212034 National Archives of Singapore<213000<214094#The football players of the Syonan Sports Association, picked from different league teams to <215022#represent Syonan-To.*<216070 Tan Wee Eng Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<217000<218093#Lottery tickets were sold to raise funds for the Syonan Municipality projects. The proceeds <219083#from the Konan Saiken went to the relief of the needy and for sanitary and health <220022#improvement schemes.*<221074 Loh Teck Cheong Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<222000<223085#Engo Saiken lottery tickets were sold to raise funds for the relief of war victims.*<224074 Loh Teck Cheong Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<225000<226091#The Syonan Chureito at Upper Bukit Timah Road was a project assigned to POW work parties, <227094#built to commemorate the fallen Japanese soldiers, and officially unveiled on Sept 10, 1942.*<228018 Syonan Shimbun<229000<230090#The Shinto gate fronting the entrance to the Syonan Jinja, a Shinto shrine at MacRitchie <231093#Reservoir. Another POW work party project, it was built as an embodiment of "the spirit of <232018#Nippon" in 1942. <233018 Syonan Shimbun<234000<235093#The Syonan Jinja was dedicated in 1943, on the 1st anniversary of the Fall of Singapore and <236025#the Birth of Syonan-To.*<237018 Syonan Shimbun<238000<239091#Almost all bus and car transportation in Malaya and Singapore was taken over by the Tokyo <240086#Express Transport and the Tramway Company. The trolley-bus resumed service in March <241007#1942.*<242021 Nanyang Siang Pau<243000<244083#As fuel was scarce during the Japanese Occupation, some buses in Syonan-To ran on <245055#charcoal placed in the engine at the back of the bus.*<246034 National Archives of Singapore<247000<248094#Tricycles at Beach Road. During these hard times, bicycles and tricycles became an important <249026#means of transportation.*<250018 Syonan Shimbun<251000<252093#The trishaws first appeared on the streets of Syonan-To and proved popular until the 1960s.*<253034 National Archives of Singapore<254000<255091#The Gunseikanbu was the main employer during the Japanese Occupation. Here is a pay slip <256094#from Oka 15813 Butai (Military Unit) for the first half of October, which included overtime.*<257034 National Archives of Singapore<258000<259057#A work pass issued by the Oka 1615 Butai in April 1943.*<260070 Chelliah S. Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore<261000<262082#All men, whether employed or not, were called to register with the Malai Sumatra <263090#Komukanrikyokai (Labour Association) which was later replaced by the Syonan Municipality <264041#Labour Booklet issued by these offices.*<265034 National Archives of Singapore<266000<267078#Rubber in a warehouse waiting to be shipped to Japan for its war industries.*<268018 Syonan Shimbun<269000
