My Japan
Encyclopedia
My Japan is a 1945 American anti-Japanese propaganda short film
produced to spur sale of American war bond
s. The film takes the form of a mock travelogue
of Japan, presented by an impersonated Japanese narrator.
, which was responsible for promoting the sale of all securities offered to the public by the Treasury Department. The 1945 United States Government Manual outlines their rights and responsibilities, stating:
"The sales organization (field) consists of offices in all States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Alaska, actively operating in recruiting of volunteer committees, sales, and promotional personnel. The Washington organization formulates publicity and promotion campaigns for recommendation to the State committees and for use at the national level."
My Japan was the only film produced by the War Finance Division in 1945.
The technique used in My Japan is a form of reverse psychology
- to make Americans angry with themselves for their materialistic
values, and then turn this anger against the enemy:
"They work longer hours than you do, twice as long, quite often. Why not? They're not working for the clock. They're working to win the war! They do not make as much money as you do. Well, they are not working to make money, they are working to win war! They work every day of every week. Is this so strange? They are not working to get days off, they are working to win the war!"
"How we suffer when you do not have a full tank of gasoline. How devastated we are at the sight of you jammed into pleasure trains. How we tremble when you have to wait to get into the movies, restaurants and nightclubs....You are a nation of bargain-hunters" (My Japan).
The film also seeks to anger Americans by belittling their military achievements up to that point:
"Guadalcanal, Tarawa
, Saipan
, Iwo Jima
- you boast of them as major victories; to you they are. To us they are minor defeats - the loss of island outposts. You Americans are fond of saying 'look at the score.' Very well, look at it. You sent your finest troops against these outposts. They died by the thousands. Here they are massacred, slaughtered. But you took the islands, you say. Yes, we expected you to. That is why we garrisoned them with second-rate troops. The best of your lives for the worst of ours. WE TOO, know a thing or two about bargains. You have not yet faced the best of our armies. You have faced only ten percent of our worst!" (My Japan)
, directed by Frank Capra
. These images, having been claimed to be footage taken by the enemy, are placed in a context which allows for the benefits of buying and holding war bonds to be seen.
These duplicate images include workers of rice fields, school children being taught by ‘trained government personnel’, workers in iron factories, volcanoes, and dead soldiers. Each one of these placed in different contexts to ‘prove’ two separate points: the effectiveness of the Japanese culture and economy as well as the unknown ‘threat’ that Japan held for Americans. The latter was to be corrected through the purchase of war bonds.
“Mayor Kelly will open Chicago Day in the 7th war loan drive at noon today, when he and five members of his cabinet will walk the red, white, and blue Victor trail at State and Madison Streets to buy bonds at the State Street Council's Mighty 7th center” (Chicago Daily Tribune).
Modern responses to My Japan are often associated with concerns regarding censorship, racism, and arms development, but rarely offer insight into first-hand reactions in 1945.
Propaganda film
The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...
produced to spur sale of American war bond
War bond
War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries...
s. The film takes the form of a mock travelogue
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
of Japan, presented by an impersonated Japanese narrator.
Background
The film was produced by the War Finance Division, a division of the United States Office of War InformationUnited States Office of War Information
The United States Office of War Information was a U.S. government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. It operated from June 1942 until September 1945...
, which was responsible for promoting the sale of all securities offered to the public by the Treasury Department. The 1945 United States Government Manual outlines their rights and responsibilities, stating:
"The sales organization (field) consists of offices in all States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Alaska, actively operating in recruiting of volunteer committees, sales, and promotional personnel. The Washington organization formulates publicity and promotion campaigns for recommendation to the State committees and for use at the national level."
My Japan was the only film produced by the War Finance Division in 1945.
Content
Reverse psychology
Reverse psychology is a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested...
- to make Americans angry with themselves for their materialistic
Economic materialism
Materialism is a mindset that views the consumption and acquisition of material goods as positive and desirable. It is often bound up with a value system which regards social status as being intrinsically linked to affluence as well as the perception that happiness can be increased through...
values, and then turn this anger against the enemy:
"They work longer hours than you do, twice as long, quite often. Why not? They're not working for the clock. They're working to win the war! They do not make as much money as you do. Well, they are not working to make money, they are working to win war! They work every day of every week. Is this so strange? They are not working to get days off, they are working to win the war!"
"How we suffer when you do not have a full tank of gasoline. How devastated we are at the sight of you jammed into pleasure trains. How we tremble when you have to wait to get into the movies, restaurants and nightclubs....You are a nation of bargain-hunters" (My Japan).
The film also seeks to anger Americans by belittling their military achievements up to that point:
"Guadalcanal, Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
, Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
, Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
- you boast of them as major victories; to you they are. To us they are minor defeats - the loss of island outposts. You Americans are fond of saying 'look at the score.' Very well, look at it. You sent your finest troops against these outposts. They died by the thousands. Here they are massacred, slaughtered. But you took the islands, you say. Yes, we expected you to. That is why we garrisoned them with second-rate troops. The best of your lives for the worst of ours. WE TOO, know a thing or two about bargains. You have not yet faced the best of our armies. You have faced only ten percent of our worst!" (My Japan)
Statistical Comparisons
The narrator makes many claims about the numbers and quality of the Japanese army in comparison to America's. These can be compared to actual record to determine their integrity. For example:| Claims in My Japan | Statistical Record |
| “…what you pay to dig a few thousand of us out of caves on Iwo Jima, only a few thousand." | 20,000 est. Japanese casualties at Iwo Jima (Newcomb) |
| “Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima... you sent your finest troops against these outposts, they died by the thousands. Here they are massacred, slaughtered.” | Casualties at Guadalcanal- America: 4272 Japan: 28,580 (Clancey) Casualties at Tarawa- America: 3000 est. Japan: 4700 ("Battle of Tarawa") Casualties at Iwo Jima- America: 28,686 Japan: 20,000 est. (Newcomb) |
| "We are prepared to spend ten million lives to defeat you." | Japanese population in 1940: approx. 71,933,000 Ages 15-64: approx. 42,080,000 Men ages 15-54: approx. 24,400,000 ("Population") Total Japanese casualties in World War II: 1,972,000 ("Casualties in World War II") |
Propaganda Comparisons
Visuals seen in My Japan can also be witnessed in another source of propaganda from 1945, Know Your Enemy: JapanKnow Your Enemy: Japan
Know Your Enemy: Japan is an American propaganda film directed by Frank Capra, commissioned by the U.S. War Department. Completion was delayed by disputes between the Hollywood producers and Washington. The original intention of the film was to prepare U.S...
, directed by Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
. These images, having been claimed to be footage taken by the enemy, are placed in a context which allows for the benefits of buying and holding war bonds to be seen.
These duplicate images include workers of rice fields, school children being taught by ‘trained government personnel’, workers in iron factories, volcanoes, and dead soldiers. Each one of these placed in different contexts to ‘prove’ two separate points: the effectiveness of the Japanese culture and economy as well as the unknown ‘threat’ that Japan held for Americans. The latter was to be corrected through the purchase of war bonds.
Censorship and the American Response
There is little evidence to document the American response to My Japan or how effective it was in convincing Americans to buy War Bonds. My Japan was part of a massive effort to promote the Mighty 7th War Loan, and separating those motivated by the film from those motivated from other sources is impossible. Government censorship further clouds the issue because the press was largely incapable of printing anything but positive reviews about War Bonds and the war effort in general (Guide to Federal Records) (Reporting from the Front Lines). Newspaper articles of the time were distinctly pro-war and contribute to the overwhelming number of sources encouraging Americans to buy War Bonds:“Mayor Kelly will open Chicago Day in the 7th war loan drive at noon today, when he and five members of his cabinet will walk the red, white, and blue Victor trail at State and Madison Streets to buy bonds at the State Street Council's Mighty 7th center” (Chicago Daily Tribune).
Modern responses to My Japan are often associated with concerns regarding censorship, racism, and arms development, but rarely offer insight into first-hand reactions in 1945.
See also
- Propaganda in the United StatesPropaganda in the United StatesPropaganda in the United States comes from governments and private entities of various kinds. Propaganda is information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to influence opinions and encite action...
- List of Allied Propaganda Films of World War 2