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Let’s go to the other side of the world #2/3
Hong Kong→Singapore
Travelling abroad in 1962
Boisbain Boarding Diary 2
●Yokohama Jun11 ●Kobe Jun17 ●Hong Kong Jun22/24 ●Singapore Jun28/Jul02
●Penang Jul06 ● Mauritius Jul15 ● Lourenço Marques Jul20 ●Durban Jul22/25
●Port Elizabeth, Cape Town Jul30 ●Rio de Janeiro Aug08 ●Santos
Landing in Singapore, right on the equator
As the ship was close to docking in Singapore, the ship’s speed slowed down.
In the morning, I woke up and was surprised to see the sea surface from the round window of the third-class cabin. Having lived for 24 years, I never doubted that the color of the sea was blue.
In Japan, the color of the sea was blue, but here right on the equator it changed to green.
I was definitely in a different world.
A 18-storey office building. ASIA INSURANCE BUILDING.
In 1962, this 18-story was the tallest high-rise building in Singapore.
Photo by the author
We were allowed to land at Singapore Port and I climbed to the top of the tallest 18-storey building in town.
The only buildings below us were a group of old colonial buildings near the mouth of the river, where the barges gathered.
The rest was an overwhelmingly sea of two or three stories red tiled roofs.
Colonial-style building to the right of the ASIA INSURANCE BUILDING.
Photo by author, 1962
Photo by author, 1962
1962-1966 Conflict between Malaysia and Indonesia.
1963 Malaysia is established as a federal state.
In 1965, Singapore gained independence after being expelled from the Federation of Malaysia.
In 1962, Singapore was still a British colony at the time, and Lee Kuan Yew, who would later become Prime Minister, was beginning a movement to end colonial rule.
There were no buildings under construction as far as the eye could see, and the unemployment rate was over 15%.
One of down town building
Photo by author, 1962
In 1968, shortly after Singapore gained independence, government public housing like the one pictured below was already completed, and people were moving in.
At the time, Singapore was poor in resources and had no choice but to become a transit port for maritime trade. For a country like Singapore, the public housing policy was a necessary first step in improving public safety and attracting investment from overseas, and this policy would later bear fruit.
Photo by author, 1962
Photo of author, 1962
(Photo below: My friend’s parents’ house in Singapore) is quite a mansion.
Photo by author, 1962
Round trip to Kuala Lumpur by Jaguar car
A friend of mine who is an alumnus of Waseda University and an international student had returned to Singapore temporarily, so we decided to take a round-trip trip by car from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by land, while the ship was at anchor for about three days to load and unload cargo.
On the land route, there were several rivers flowing from the rainforest, and two of them had no bridges, so we had to cross them by ferry. The rivers were brown and murky, and it seemed like it would be no surprise if a crocodile appeared anywhere.
If we could not return to Singapore Port on time due to flooding or other unforeseen circumstances along the way, the ship would depart.
Our desire to get to know an unknown land was stronger than we could have taken such risks.
Go to Malaysia
People having lunch between farm work on the shores of the Straits of Malacca. It is a relaxed and peaceful scene.
Photo by author, 1962
Rice planting in Malaysia
Photo by author, 1962
I climbed a small hill and took a photo of the city of Malacca. The Strait of Malacca can be seen in the distance.
Photo by author, 1962
Reaching Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur Central Station, Malayan Railway. The station building’s design is influenced by the Indian Mughal style.
If you go further north on this railway, you can reach Bangkok.
Photo by author, 1962
Photo by author, 1962
