‘Kashira Migi’

‘Kashira Migi!’

‘Kashira Migi’ is the Japanese command for ‘eyes right’

In his book ‘Changi – The Funny Side’, Slim DeGrey describes how each time they returned to Changi Jail from a working party of concert performance, one of them would have call out ‘Eyes Right’ in Japanes – ‘Kashira Niggi’, and salute –  Pg145. Wow betide you if you forgot, you were liable for a beating, and would just have to stand and take it.

Des in this painting has turned things on it’s head – the Japanese Guard is now dressed in either a Grenadier; Coldstream; Scots; Irish or Welsh Guards uniform – and working for the British Empire, while the ‘prisoners’ are more like executives leaving digs to go off to work as businessmen – trading their loin cloths for suits. The whole place of Changi Jail in this image seems to be civilized with pavements; trees; even a well dressed woman and a dog and the ‘prisoners’ seem to be the ones in charge. It has more of a Buckingham Palace feel, yet the gates are definately those of Changi Jail.