‘I still can’t bring myself to eat Japanese food’

Mr Ye Kun Chan was six years old when the Japanese Occupation of Singapore began. He spent most of the next three years hiding in his home in Beach Road with his older sister, shrouded in fear and misery. In the years that have followed, the former principal of Catholic High School has learnt to live with these memories. He also developed a grudging respect for Japan’s technological advancements.  Still, the writer tries his best to shun any reminders of Japan in his day-to-day life. According to Dr Kei Koga, an associate professor at NTU’s Public Policy and Global Affairs Programme, relations between Singapore and Japan took a turn for the better in the 1980s and 1990s, when increased economic cooperation brought more Japanese expatriates and businesses – including restaurants – to Singapore. 

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