“The Japanese Occupation of Singapore during World War II” History class

August 31, 2024 (Sat)

Online

We held an online class that included 7 Japanese ​students and teachers living in Singapore and Japan.

Thanks to the participation of participants from a ​wide range of ages and schools, the class was very ​fulfilling and thought-provoking.

October 29, 2024 (Tue)

KOMABA Orchard School Junior High and High School Students

An in-person class was held at KOMABA with 12 ​Japanese students and teachers living in Singapore.

Most of the participants had attended international ​schools or public schools in Singapore, so although they ​faced some difficulties, such as not being good at ​Japanese, they were able to seriously face the history ​that they ought to know as Japanese people living in ​Singapore.

November 1, 2024 (Fri)

KOMABA Clementi School 1st Year Junior High School Students

An in-person class was held at KOMABA with 38 ​Japanese students and teachers living in Singapore. ​Most of the participants had attended Japanese Junior ​High schools in Singapore, so although it was difficult ​for them as it was their first time taking such an ​autonomous class, they were able to seriously face ​the history that they ought to know as Japanese ​people living in Singapore.

November 1, 2024 (Fri)

KOMABA Clementi School 2nd Year Junior High School Students

An in-person class was held at KOMABA with 62 ​Japanese students and teachers living in Singapore. ​Most of the participants had attended Japanese Junior ​High schools in Singapore, so although it was difficult ​for them as it was their first time taking such an ​autonomous class, they were able to seriously face ​the history that they ought to know as Japanese ​people living in Singapore.

Feedback

“I was able to meet people I would never normally meet ​and information I would never know, express opinions that ​I would not normally be able to express while attending a ​public junior high school in Japan, and create discussions ​based on everyone’s opinions.”

2nd Year Junior High School Student・15 years old　​Living in Tokyo, Japan

“I liked the theme of questioning the fundamentals of the ​concept and nature of history as a subject! I thought the ​idea that history is a story was new!”

3rd Year High School Student・18 years old　

Living in Singapore International School

“I thought that all history was learned from textbooks, but ​in this class I learned that that was not the case and that ​there are many different ways to interpret history, which I ​thought was very good.”

2nd Year Junior High School Student・13 years old

Living in Singapore Japanese School

“It was good to be able to look deeply into Japanese ​textbooks.”

3rd Year High School Student・18 years old

Living in Akita, Japan

“I thought it was more than just history. It made me ​realize that not all the information is correct, but that the ​content may differ slightly from the facts due to the ​biases and ideas of the textbook authors.”

1st Year Junior High School Student・12 years old　

Living in Singapore Japanese School

“I’m glad I learned about World War II, which I didn’t ​know anything about. It was explained in a way that was ​easier to understand than a textbook.”

2nd Year Junior High School Student・14 years old

Living in Singapore International School

“It was content that made the participants think.”

2nd Year Junior High School Student・13 years old

Living in Singapore Japanese School

“All humans do not tell the same history. Everyone may ​have things they don’t know or things they may be wrong ​about. Therefore, we must cherish the ‘history’ that each ​person has.”

2nd Year Junior High School Student

Living in Singapore Japanese School

“I really liked the message ‘History isn’t what happened. ​It’s who tells the story.’ I think the significance of this ​class is to get this message across.”

Teacher

Living in Singapore

“When you are in Japan, you only receive education ​provided by Japan. I think this is true in every country, but ​the Japanese curriculum guidelines state that one of the ​reasons for studying history is ‘to have a sense of loyalty ​to Japan’. Although this is neither good nor bad in itself, it ​must be said that this state of affairs is disadvantageous ​for those who will live in the multicultural society of the ​future. Therefore, I thought that this class was valuable ​for them, as it provides an opportunity to learn about ​history as told by various people and gain a multifaceted ​perspective.”

3rd Year High School Student・17 years old

Living in Osaka, Japan

“I didn’t know much about the damage that other ​countries suffered, so I’m glad that I was able to learn ​more about Singapore, where I will continue to live.”

1st Year Junior High School Student・13 years old

Living in Singapore Japanese School

“It wasn’t just about teaching, it was a space where ​students could think on their own.”

2nd Year High School Student・17 years old

Living in Singapore International School

“Up until now, I had been learning about World War II ​from a Japanese perspective, but this time I was able to ​learn about it from a Singaporean perspective. I was ​surprised at how different my opinions were by looking at ​it from various perspectives.”

1st Year Junior High School Student

Living in Singapore Japanese School

“This is the first time that I have read the textbooks that I ​have been using to find ambiguous parts that are not ​covered in detail, and to think about how they are ​ambiguous. I want to continue understanding and ​interpreting it.”

2nd Year Junior High School Student

Living in Singapore International School