Born Then
1941–1945

Life during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines

Be born in a place it hit, a few years before it began, and see what it did to five ordinary lives.

What it meant for ordinary people

Japan invaded in December 1941, took Bataan and Corregidor, and ruled harshly until 1945. Guerrilla resistance was widespread, and the month-long Battle of Manila in 1945 destroyed much of the city.

Deaths: about 500,000–1,000,000 Filipinos, including about 100,000 civilians in the Battle of Manila.

How hard it hits each person in the game (risk of death, of being conscripted, of leaving) comes from scholarly estimates.

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