Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
| Hong Kong Occupied Territory | ||||||||||
| 香港占領地 | ||||||||||
| Military occupation by the Empire of Japan | ||||||||||
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| Capital | Not specified | |||||||||
| Languages |
Japanese Chinese |
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| Government | Military occupation | |||||||||
| Emperor | Hirohito | |||||||||
| Governor-General | ||||||||||
| • | 1941–1942 |
Takashi Sakai Masaichi Niimi |
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| • | 1942–1944 | Rensuke Isogai | ||||||||
| • | 1944–1945 | Hisakazu Tanaka | ||||||||
| Historical era | World War II | |||||||||
| • | Battle of Hong Kong | 8–25 December 1941 | ||||||||
| • | Surrender of Hong Kong | 25 December 1941 | ||||||||
| • | Surrender of Japan | 15 August 1945 | ||||||||
| • | Handover to the Royal Navy | 30 August 1945 | ||||||||
| Area | ||||||||||
| • | 1941 | 1,042 km² (402 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||
| • | 1941 est. | 1,639,000 | ||||||||
| Density | 1,572.9 /km² (4,073.9 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| • | 1945 est. | 600,000 | ||||||||
| Density | 575.8 /km² (1,491.4 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Currency | Japanese military yen | |||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Hong Kong
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The Imperial Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (香港日治時期) 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 surrender occurred after 18 days of fierce fighting against the overwhelming Japanese forces that had invaded the territory. The occupation lasted for three years and eight months until Japan surrendered at the end of Second World War. The length of this period (in Cantonese, 三年零八個月; Sam Nin Ling Bat Goh Yuet; "three years and eight months") later became a metonym of the occupation.
During the Imperial Japanese military's full-scale invasion of China in 1937, Hong Kong as part of the British empire was not under attack. Nevertheless, its situation was influenced by the war in China due to proximity to the mainland China. In early March 1939, during an Imperial Japanese bombing raid on Shenzhen, a few bombs fell accidentally on Hong Kong territory, destroying a bridge and a train station.
In 1936, Germany and the Empire of Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact. In 1937 Fascist Italy joined the pact, forming the core to what would become known as the Axis Powers.
In the autumn of 1941, Nazi Germany was near the height of its military power. After the invasion of Poland and fall of France, German forces had overrun much of Western Europe and were racing towards Moscow. Although still officially neutral, the United States was actively supporting Britain, the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union in their war against Germany through Lend-Lease and other programs.
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Wikipedia