There was a shortage of food due to trade being disrupted during the war, limiting the import of goods into Singapore from overseas. Furthermore, most of the available resources were channelled to the Japanese war efforts, including the Japanese soldiers and the Kempeitai, rather than to the people. As a result, this led to a shortage of food and essential items.

After the first few weeks of the Japanese occupation, essential food items such as rice and sugar were strictly rationed. The locals were limited to a fixed quantity of essential items that they could obtain using ration coupons. The shortage of food in shops led to a drastic inflation and people had to pay a lot for basic necessities. For example, before the Japanese occupation, an egg cost 3 cents; but during the occupation, the price of an egg went up to $3 and then $10 and still increased further.

During the occupation, the currency used was these notes called ‘banana notes’ because of the pictures of banana trees on the $10 notes. Whenever there was a shortage of money, the Japanese government decided to print more notes, leading to a drop in value of these notes. By the end of the occupation, the banana notes were practically worthless.

During the occupation, there was also a lot of spread of diseases such as pneumonia, dysentery, etc., as well as many deaths. During the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, 130000 deaths were officially recorded, more than double the number between 1937 and 1940. One group that endured the harshest living conditions were the Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian prisoners. They faced a shortage of food and medicine as well as greatly overcrowded living conditions. For example, Changi Prison was initially designed for around 600 prisoners but during the war, it housed up to 6000. These harsh living conditions led to an increase in deaths and diseases.

In addition, the POWs were used as forced labour by the Japanese. Most of these POWs were sent to work on the Siam-Burma railway (more commonly known as the “Death Railway”), where about 16000 POWs died under horrific working conditions.

Lastly, during the occupation, many citizens were encouraged to grow their own food and to relocate to parts of Malaysia. Firstly, the Chinese were encouraged to move to the Endau settlement in Johor where it thrived until they were attacked by the anti-Japanese guerillas later on. A few months later, the Japanese created another settlement called the Bahau settlement in Negeri Sembilan in Malaya. They encouraged the Eurasians and Chinese Roman Catholics to move there. However, unlike the Endau settlement, the land in the Bahau settlement was too hilly and the soil was too poor for agriculture. This led to a severe food shortage and many people resorted to eating rats and maggots and died as a result.

In conclusion, survival was difficult during the Japanese occupation, mainly because of severe food shortages, the spread of diseases and the harsh working and living conditions of the POWs and many others.

The Japanese had several ways of using force, one of which was meting out harsh punishments. Throughout the Japanese Occupation, harsh punishments were imposed on criminals and other people seen by the Japanese as their enemies. These harsh punishments instilled fear into the civilians and people living in Singapore. For example, the Japanese executed those who were caught looting just after the British surrender. Their heads were displayed publicly in places such as the open area outside the Cathay Building, and in bridges across the Singapore River. These punishments served as severe earnings to the people about the consequences of going against the Japanese. 

One group that many people feared was the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police. The Kempeitai arrested those who were suspected of being anti-Japanese and food and cash rewards were also awarded to encourage people to inform authorities of anyone they suspected of being involved in anti-Japanese activities. Anti-Japanese suspects would be beaten or tortured until they revealed information that the Japanese wanted. In some cases, those who were suspected of anti-Japanese activities were imprisoned or executed. Over time, civilians learnt to go about their business and daily lives quietly, so as to not appear disobedient in case they drew the unwanted attention of the Japanese authorities.

The Japanese also imprisoned allied soldiers once the Japanese took control of the island. One of the first things that the Japanese did was to imprison the British, Australians and Allied Europeans in Singapore, including women and children. The Allied prisoners of war were forced to march in public from Bukit Timah Road to Changi Prison and the barracks nearby, where they would be imprisoned. Along the way, many civilians passed the POWs food and money, despite the risk of being punished by the Japanese.

The Japanese also carried out Operation Sook Ching, which was a brutal purging aimed to identify and eliminate anti-Japanese elements from the local population. It consisted of members of the Chinese community who were suspected of being anti-Japanese. The Kempeitai was placed in charge of this fearsome operation. The Chinese population was targeted as a potential source of opposition and threat to Japanese rule. This was because when the Japanese invaded China in 1937, they faced strong resistance from the Chinese, including Chinese communities living outside of China. The Japanese posted notices requiring all Chinese men aged 18 to 50 to assemble at mass screening centres to be examined by the Japanese. Japanese records estimate that 6000 people were killed during the operation. However, other estimated show the figure to be between 25,000 and 50,000. 

-Another method of winning loyalty of the people is providing benefits to the locals. The Japanese provided certain benefits like schooling and accommodation for free. They also appealed favourably to some ethnic groups like the Malays as they had originally responded positively to Japanese rule due to the Japanese propaganda that promised better lives for Malays. Thus Malays were treated less harshly by the Japanese like the Japanese dishing out rice, sugar and salt to the less fortunate for Hari Raya Puasa, and Malays and Indians were charged less than Chinese to cross the Causeway. Through this, it would bribe the locals to be loyal to the Japanese and continue being so to gain access to these benefits.

The Japanese posted notices requiring all Chinese men aged 18 to 50 to assemble at mass screening centres to be examined by the Japanese. 

Japanese records estimate that 6,000 people were killed during the operation. However, other estimates show the figure to be between 25.000 and 50,000.

In addition, the Japanese officials encouraged sports and cultural activities to reduce the stress of wartime conditions on the local population. Notices of football. baseball, tennis and badminton matches appeared almost every day in the media. 

Having to endure miserable living conditions, the POWs also tried to keep their spirits up by organising and participating in social, religious and sporting activities like publishing a newspaper, organising theatrical performances and church services, and painting murals at Changi Chapel.

 Another way they gained the loyalty of the locals was by providing them with benefits, like free textbooks. They also favored certain ethnic groups over others and gave them benefits like being better treated or lower fees. For example, Malays and Indians were charged lower fees to cross the Causeway compared to the Chinese. These are some of the ways that the Japanese won over the locals to gain control over the country.

They also introduced the Japanese Spirit, ‘Nippon seishin’ which helped to foster a sense of loyalty and identity amongst them. For example, in schools, students had to sing the Japanese national anthem and bow before a picture of the Japanese Emperor during morning assembly. They even introduced many forms of Japanese daily mass exercises to the people. They promoted fitness amongst locals and even trained some of them in traditional Japanese martial arts. These activities helped to propagate the Japanese Spirit in Singapore. By imposing the Japanese Culture on the locals, they were able to get the people of Singapore to support them in their plan to gain control over Asia.

Survival was difficult due to the spread of diseases due to poor sanitation. This is because POWs had to live in impoverished states, where they had to squeeze into a single room. Hence, they were forced to live in overcrowded conditions, thus leading to the spread of diseases within one another. 

 Overall, the locals responded to Japanese rule in various ways which includes collaboration and resistance. 

Another struggle they had was with diseases and death. Healthcare and sanitation worsened in the country, since it had hardly been a priority of the colonial authorities before the outbreak of war. Considering this factor with the food shortages, the death rate climbed, with 130,000 deaths between 1942 and 1945, which was double the number between 1937 and 1940. Primary causes of death were diseases such as beriberi, pneumonia and dysentery. A group that endured particularly harsh living conditions was the Prisoners Of War and the civilian prisoners. They faced continual shortages of food and medicine, and acute overcrowding, where Changi Prison held up to 5000 prisoners when it was only designed for 600. These living conditions led to poor hygiene and the spread of diseases. The Prisoners Of War were used as forced labour as well, where about 16,000 had died under horrific working conditions for the construction of the Siam-Burma Railway.

The last issue they had encountered was relocations. During the Japanese Occupation, people were encouraged to strive for self-sufficiency by growing their own food. However, this failed to ease the food shortage, causing the Japanese to resort to relocating people from Singapore to rural areas outside the country to increase agricultural output. The Chinese were encourage to move to the Endau settlement in Johor, where there was rich soil and an ample water supply. The plan had succeeded as it was self-sufficient, until attacks by bandits and anti-Japanese guerrillas had disrupted the peace in the settlement. A few months after setting up Endau, the Japanese created the Bahau settlement. However, the land was too hilly and the soil too poor for agriculture. This led to people even resorting to eating rats and maggots, causing many of them to perish.