Syonan Years 1942-1945

The Japanese Occupation of Singapore forever changed the nation’s outlook, the future of the country and its impact is felt to this day. The memories and reflections of the hardships faced by those who lived through the darkest years of Singapore’s modern history have been captured befittingly at the old Ford Motor Factory, site of the British surrender now preserved by the National Archives of Singapore as a permanent exhibition gallery and repository – Memories at Old Ford Factory. Building on first-hand oral history accounts of true war survivors, archival records and primary documents, the courage, resilience and ingenuity of Singaporeans are highlighted as they defied the atrocities of Sook Ching and mass screenings; the massive changes brought about by the Japanese administration; the mass migration brought about by the “Grow More Food” campaign; as well as the Japanese treatment of POWs, civilian internees and different ethnic communities. Through the realism of the stories, and combined with photographs, documents, maps and various objects, life under Japanese rule is revealed, offering lessons of hope, creativity and adaptability from the annals of history.