This online archive aims to catalogue Japanese-language sources on the Second World War in Malaya and Singapore, and bring these historical materials to a wider audience, including students, researchers, and members of the public. This post will contain some brief guidance and tips regarding how to use this website. Below is one of our 90+ sample entries, which you may find on the Archives page, accessible at the top-right section of the website header:
Above: Sample archive entry
The left-hand side of the entry will display a limited sample of the item’s contents. This will include the table of contents. Where appropriate and permitted by copyright restrictions and technical constraints, the sample may also include the foreword, afterword, and/or photographs from the item. If the sample fails to display in your browser, try refreshing the page, using a different browser, or using the ‘Download PDF’ button located in the bottom-left.
The right-hand side of the entry displays the item’s basic publication information. In the bottom right, you will see the link to an item’s WorldCat entry. WorldCat is the world’s largest database of books and articles, and allows users to search for resources in nearby libraries, access interlibrary loans, and explore a vast network of academic, public, and special libraries. Not all libraries are connected to WorldCat, for example, local and municipal library branches. It is recommended that users directly check the availability of titles they are interested in with their local libraries.
Below the main description will be a transcription of the Table of Contents for that item in both English and Japanese, that will be identical to that featured in the item’s PDF. At time of writing, not all transcriptions are available, but updates will be released progressively.
Tips for Assessing the Documents
For users who do not read Japanese, auto-translation software or AI like Google Translate or ChatGPT can help provide a rough, approximate gist of inputted Japanese text. However, it is highly recommended that you check machine translations with a human who is proficient in the language, as auto-translation and AI can make mistakes or lack important context.
For users new to historical research, it is recommended that you examine not only the contents of the source, but also its context. Understanding the lives and motivations of the authors, as well as the social and political climate in which they wrote their documents are essential to making historical assessments.