On christmas day 1941 the japanese captured hong kong, and britain lost control of its chinese colony for almost four years, a turning point in the process by which the british were to be expelled from the colony and from east asia. The book has much to say about both colonial education and hong kong in general, and it tracks the fortunes of the colony from the peak of the british empires power to the destructive effects of the japanese occupation between 1941 and 1945. Japans conquest in asia pacific atrocities education. Instead of caring for the citizens stories and wellbeings at the end of wwii, people cared about. The imperial japanese occupation of hong kong began when the governor of. During the last year and a half of the japanese occupation of hong kong during world war two, my father, george smirnoff, with some other russian refugees, decided to move his family to the only safe place we could get to, the small neighbouring portuguese colony of macao.
End of japanese occupation pacific atrocities education. It also discusses the japanese plans to defend hong kong during the possible allied counterattack. British, american, dutch and others, who were trapped in the british colony and interned behind barbed wire in stanley internment camp from 1942 to 1945. In short the japanese occupation of hong kong was a fiasco. The dirty secrets of hong kongs war hong kong free press hkfp. Life in the japanese civilian camp at stanley tells the story of the more than three thousand nonchinese civilians. Before dawn on monday, december 8, 75 years ago, imperial japanese troops in guangdong stole over the border into hong kong.
Article also did not include a wellsourced statement concerning the japanese occupation from another article, battle of hong kong. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple faq for additional information. The clarity of mind snow brings to his labor of storytelling and contextualizing is amazing. Moving to macau during the japanese occupation of hong kong. A concise history of hong kong hong kong university press. The surrender occurred after 18 days of fierce fighting against the overwhelming japanese forces that had invaded the territory. The book tells the stories of the battle for hong kong, daily civilian lives, hong kong mafias collaboration with the japanese imperial army, and the pows camp in hong kong during the occupation. Dec 16, 2016 before dawn on monday, december 8, 75 years ago, imperial japanese troops in guangdong stole over the border into hong kong.
The length of this period later became a metonym of the occupation. That same morning, the japanese launched attacks on pearl harbor, the philippines, british malaya and thailand. Pages on the left cover the books that have spun off from this project. Their numbers are smaller when compared to the sizeable presence of american, british, and canadian expatriates. Japanese occupation of china banknotes japanese occupation.
Hong kong was a british colony before and after wwii, but from 12251941 to 8151945 when japan surrendered, hong kong was under the control of japan. The japanese occupation was a turning point in the slow historical process. The occupation lasted for three years and eight months until. The surrender occurred after 18 days of fierce fighting against the overwhelming japanese forces who had invaded on the territory. The definitive account of the wartime history of hong kong on christmas day 1941 the japanese captured hong kong, and britain lost control of its chinese colony for almost four years, a turning point in the process by which the british were to be expelled from the colony and from east asia. The imperial japanese occupation of hong kong began when the governor of hong kong, sir mark young, surrendered the british crown colony of. This book unravels for the first time the dramatic story of the japanese occupation and reinterprets the. This book is written with both a scholarly and a more general audience in mind. British hong kong was a colony and british dependent territory of the united kingdom from 1841 to 1997, apart from a brief period under japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945. The imperial japanese occupation of hong kong began when the governor of hong kong, sir mark young, surrendered the british crown colony of hong kong to the empire of japan on 25 december 1941.
This book switches between the the early 1940s and the early 1950s. Many sales took place during the japanese occupation of hong kong 19411945. Hong kongs former colonial authorities went so far as to take a never openly. Hong kong under the japanese occupation, 19421945 hong. The orchid tree is a historical drama set in hong kong. Now, her diary is being published as she approached 100. This book unravels for the first time the dramatic story of the japanese occupation and reinterprets the subsequent evolution of hong kong. Kong was part of the shortlived japanese empire, the british occupation would last until midnight on july 1, 1997, whereupon hong kong became a special administrative region of the peoples republic of china. This article recounts the massacre and atrocities committed by the japanese troops during those three years and eight months of occupation of hong kong. A week of air raids over hong kong, a british crown colony, was followed up on. The surviving land deeds reflected a traditional society breaking down as people sold their trust property. The nationalist and communist forces were no match for the japanese.
August 15, 1945 hong kong was freed and become functioning again as port. Written by a projapanese writer lu mengshu, it is generally seen as a propagandistic work. His thesis is that the japanese occupation, a brief period of 3 years 8 months, out of the more than 100 years that the colony was in british hands, was the critical watershed which made british relinquishment inevitable. Book sheds light on hong kongs war tribunals south china. The strategic importance of hong kong and the details of the japanese military rule. The failure of the british to cultivate the loyalty of the hong kong chinese in the years prior to the war weakened their ability to. The top ten books set in hong kong time out hong kong. On christmas day 1941 the japanese captured hong kong, and. This book is in very good condition, binding and pages crisp and clean.
Big flow of new migrants spout to hong kong after world war ii and proclamation of. The first troops to engage them were the rajputs who continued to offer resistance until the regiment virtually ceased to exist. Jul 11, 2004 philip snows the fall of hong kong paints a vivid picture of hong kong society in the leadup to the japanese occupation of 19411945. Fiction and nonfiction dealing with japanese occupation in asia score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Japanese people in hong kong consist primarily of expatriate business people and their families, along with a smaller number of single women. This chapter deals with the period of japanese occupation and the japanese attempt to use hong kong as a shipping hub to support their war effort. On the 25 of december 1941, hong kong surrendered to. A collection of research notes on hong kong during japanese occupation, 19411945. This page is updated monthly with a record of research and related activities. It began when the governor of hong kong, sir mark young, gave up the british crown colony of hong kong to empire of japan on 25 december 1941. Rensuke isogai, isogai rensuke, september 3, 1886 june 6, 1967 was a general in the imperial japanese army and governor of hong kong under japanese occupation from december 24, 1942 to august 15 1945. The road to liberation, kwongs new chineselanguage book, will shed more light on the wartime occupation, using japanese archival material on hong kong. Colin gimson, cousin of sir franklin charles gimson who came to hong kong as colonial secretary in december 1941 but was immediately interned in stanley prisoner of war camp. After the 1931 defeat in manchuria, for six years, the tensions between china and japan continued but with no major conflict.
Japanese occupation of hong kong wikipedia republished. These transactions sometimes happened without a middleman or a family council. When the japanese invade and the governor surrenders no one can quite believe what happens. Set in hong kong, it is easy to follow these jumps from from one era back and forth to the other. Fifteen year old kate wolseley is british and lives with her parents on the peak. Hong kong was a lost cause but the soldiers fought anyway. The book tells the stories of the battle for hong kong, daily civilian lives, hong kong mafias collaboration with the japanese. Japanese invasion of hong kong december 1941 arthur. One of the opening battles of the conflict in the pacific, japanese troops commenced their attack on the british colony the same morning as their attack on the us pacific fleet at pearl harbor.
The japanese occupation was a turning point in the slow historical process by which the british were to be expelled from the colony and from four centuries of influence in east asia. Massacre and atrocities in hong kong during wwii don tow. The deeds written during this period contained odd grammar and did not state the reason of alienation. The fall of hong kong is very different, and very good.
The battle of hong kong through the eyes of people who. Civilians were raped and tortured during the occupation. Japanese occupation of hong kong simple english wikipedia. In july 1940, as the threat of japanese invasion intensified, the largest evacuation in hong kong history got under way. Japanese occupation of china banknotes japanese occupation of china paper money catalog and chinese currency history. Best fiction and nonfiction books, novels and memoirs that take place primarily in the city of hong kong. When japanese forces launched a surprise invasion of the territory on december 8, 1941, just six hours after they bombed pearl harbor, british leaders already knew hong kong was indefensible. Later in the afternoon ryan, sandra and l went to the history museum and found quite a large section about the occupation. The japanese occupation of hong kong began when the governor of hong kong, sir mark young, surrendered the british crown colony of hong kong to imperial japan on 25 december 1941.
The imperial japanese occupation of hong kong began when the governor of hong kong, sir mark young, surrendered the british crown colony of hong kong to imperial japan on 25 december 1941. Three years eight months the forgotten struggle of hong. Massacre and atrocities in hong kong during wwii don tows. The colonial period began with the occupation of hong kong island in 1841 during the first opium war. It also describes how officials of china and britain worked together to maintain order in hong kong after the transfer of power, which marked the end. Land deeds and the japanese occupation, 19411945 hong kong.
Oct 10, 2018 barbara redwood, then 23, wrote about experience under japanese occupation while living in hong kong in 1941. The anglochinese underground resistance such as the british army aid group and the east river column will be discussed. Welcome to hong kong war diary a project that documents the 1941 defence of hong kong, the defenders, their families, and the fates of all until liberation. Jun 22, 2012 later in the afternoon ryan, sandra and l went to the history museum and found quite a large section about the occupation.
That same morning, the japanese launched attacks on pearl harbor, the. The first part is from 1941 1945 during the japanese occupation of hong kong during wwii. Philip snows the fall of hong kong paints a vivid picture of hong kong society in the leadup to the japanese occupation of 19411945. Flashbacks to peis early life in the silk factory punctuate the narrative, which skillfully traces 35 yearsthrough the japanese invasion of hong kong and its aftermath up until 1973in peis nimbly stalwart existence. The piano teacher takes place in hong kong and basically deals with how the characters in the story are affected by the japanese occupation. Hk writers the 5 best books about hong kong page traveller. It sounded like a pretty horrible time for 3 years, 8 months and the people of hong kong were very thankful for canadians who tried to help them out, with many of them dying in their attempt. On christmas day 1941 the japanese captured hong kong, and britain lost control of its chinese colony for almost four years, a turning point in the process by which the british were to be expelled from the. Japanese occupation of hong kong military wiki fandom.
During the christmas of 1941, the governor of hong kong, mark aitchison young surrendered hong kong and started the 3 years 8 months of the japanese imperial armys occupation of hong kong. Where snow comes into its own is in his use of japanese and chinese as well as british sources, which offer a much more nuanced picture than has appeared before in english of life among hong kong s different communities before and during the japanese occupation. Colin gimson, cousin of sir franklin charles gimson who came to hong kong as colonial secretary in december 1941 but. Britain, china, and the japanese occupation, published in 2003, mainly focuses on the events that happened during the japanese occupation 25 december 194115 august 1945. Instead of caring for the citizens experiences at the end of wwii, people cared about the ownership of hong kong as england and china raced to reach the city. After the united front formed between the nationalist and the communist party, the second sino japanese war 19371945 soon started, which would be the start of japans official invasion of china. In this wellresearched and wellwritten book, phillip snow traces the history of the british colony of hong kong, with the intent to show why britain ultimately returned the colony to china. As white russians, we lived in a form of limbo during those years. As of 2010, 21,518 japanese people had registered as residents of hong kong with the japanese consulate there. Rainscape of the city shancheng yujing is the only stillextent book publication in hong kong during japanese occupation 1941 1945. The real story of hong kongs place in the second world war. I have just modified 2 external links on japanese occupation of hong kong. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
How british in wartime hong kong evacuated women and. On christmas day 1941 the japanese captured hong kong, and britain lost control of its chinese colony for almost four years. They dont seem to have been at all interested in liberating their fellow asians from colonial rule. Few scholarly studies have looked at its publication history and political ambiguities. Three years eight months the japanese occupation of hong kong. Instead of caring for the citizens experiences at the end of wwii, people cared about the. On christmas day 1941 the japanese captured hong kong and britain lost control of its chinese colony for almost four years. Japanese troops land in hong kong on december 18, 1941, and slaughter ensues. From 1970 to 1972, while researching for his ma thesis, the author interviewed twentythree. The occupation lasted for three years and eight months until japan surrendered at the end of second world war. On 18 december 1941, the imperial japanese army launched the invasion of hong kong island by landing first at north point.
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