My Japan (Part 2)

My Japan is an American anti-Japanese propaganda film produced in 1945 to spur sale of American war bonds. The film takes the form of a mock travelogue of Japan, presented by an impersonated Japanese narrator.

The film was produced by the War Finance Division, a division of the United States Office of War Information, 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)

Visuals seen in My Japan can also be witnessed in another source of propaganda from 1945, Know Your Enemy: 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.

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. 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.

Save & Share:

Corrupted - El Mundo (Part 1/8) Sludge metal / funeral doom metal from Osaka, Japan. From Corrupted's second full-length album titled "Llenandose De Gusanos", released in 1999 under HG Fact. "El Mundo" is a long lasting absolutely minimalistic ambient track. Llenandose De Gusanos tracklisting: Disc 1: 1. Sangre/Humanos (49:56) Disc 2: 1. El Mundo (73:54) No lyrics available. Metal Archives page: www.metal-archives.com Official www.myspace.com www.dxmxtx.com

Corrupted - Sangre/Humanos (Part 4/5) Sludge metal / funeral doom metal from Osaka, Japan. From Corrupted's second full-length album titled "Llenandose De Gusanos", released in 1999 under HG Fact. Llenandose De Gusanos tracklisting: Disc 1: 1. Sangre/Humanos (49:56) Disc 2: 1. El Mundo (73:54) Lyrics Saigo ni ano yama no itadaki o mezash'teitai Koko ni aru subete no kuuki o ooi tsukusu hodo no ashioto ga kikoeru Sore wa hitorigoto datta kamoshirenai Tash'ka ni ano toki doko kara kayattekite Koko ni ita no darou Koush'te wazuka na jikan ga nagareta dake de Sude ni ushinawareteshimatta Kioku soko ni wa honrai arubeki Sugata nado kage sae mono kosanai Hajime ni soko ni nanika o souzou shiaru ga yue ni sorera o motometa Arasoukoto o oboe-ubai Aukoto o shiru Kizutsukerukoto ni yorokobi o motome Shinjirukoto o wasurete Ware-ware o tsukasadoru kotoba to iu sube o kuukyo e toshinkasaseta Aumento de gusanos Cola invisible dirigiendo Disciplo siguen ciegos Ojos acucharados piernas y brazos acadenados Vives solo para instincto y ansia como burros Piernas falsas por encima de hombros Hablando con ellos mismos Estoy mirando un grupo de gusanos Con mis ojos cerrados Ya sabes donde hay sol El tiempo pasa El oscuro rodea el aire El oscuro es un largo frio interminable como es congelado Ya sabes el tiempo llega cuando la discussion se permite Para justification propia Ansia llamando sueno Otra vez gusanos se juntan Hablan mierda Come mierda repite y pone en el oscuro Mis ojos toda via estan cerrado Mi camino es estrecho ...

Corrupted - Sangre/Humanos (Part 2/5) Sludge metal / funeral doom metal from Osaka, Japan. From Corrupted's second full-length album titled "Llenandose De Gusanos", released in 1999 under HG Fact. Llenandose De Gusanos tracklisting: Disc 1: 1. Sangre/Humanos (49:56) Disc 2: 1. El Mundo (73:54) Lyrics Saigo ni ano yama no itadaki o mezash'teitai Koko ni aru subete no kuuki o ooi tsukusu hodo no ashioto ga kikoeru Sore wa hitorigoto datta kamoshirenai Tash'ka ni ano toki doko kara kayattekite Koko ni ita no darou Koush'te wazuka na jikan ga nagareta dake de Sude ni ushinawareteshimatta Kioku soko ni wa honrai arubeki Sugata nado kage sae mono kosanai Hajime ni soko ni nanika o souzou shiaru ga yue ni sorera o motometa Arasoukoto o oboe-ubai Aukoto o shiru Kizutsukerukoto ni yorokobi o motome Shinjirukoto o wasurete Ware-ware o tsukasadoru kotoba to iu sube o kuukyo e toshinkasaseta Aumento de gusanos Cola invisible dirigiendo Disciplo siguen ciegos Ojos acucharados piernas y brazos acadenados Vives solo para instincto y ansia como burros Piernas falsas por encima de hombros Hablando con ellos mismos Estoy mirando un grupo de gusanos Con mis ojos cerrados Ya sabes donde hay sol El tiempo pasa El oscuro rodea el aire El oscuro es un largo frio interminable como es congelado Ya sabes el tiempo llega cuando la discussion se permite Para justification propia Ansia llamando sueno Otra vez gusanos se juntan Hablan mierda Come mierda repite y pone en el oscuro Mis ojos toda via estan cerrado Mi camino es estrecho ...

Corrupted - Sangre/Humanos (Part 1/5) Sludge metal / funeral doom metal from Osaka, Japan. From Corrupted's second full-length album titled "Llenandose De Gusanos", released in 1999 under HG Fact. Llenandose De Gusanos tracklisting: Disc 1: 1. Sangre/Humanos (49:56) Disc 2: 1. El Mundo (73:54) Lyrics Saigo ni ano yama no itadaki o mezash'teitai Koko ni aru subete no kuuki o ooi tsukusu hodo no ashioto ga kikoeru Sore wa hitorigoto datta kamoshirenai Tash'ka ni ano toki doko kara kayattekite Koko ni ita no darou Koush'te wazuka na jikan ga nagareta dake de Sude ni ushinawareteshimatta Kioku soko ni wa honrai arubeki Sugata nado kage sae mono kosanai Hajime ni soko ni nanika o souzou shiaru ga yue ni sorera o motometa Arasoukoto o oboe-ubai Aukoto o shiru Kizutsukerukoto ni yorokobi o motome Shinjirukoto o wasurete Ware-ware o tsukasadoru kotoba to iu sube o kuukyo e toshinkasaseta Aumento de gusanos Cola invisible dirigiendo Disciplo siguen ciegos Ojos acucharados piernas y brazos acadenados Vives solo para instincto y ansia como burros Piernas falsas por encima de hombros Hablando con ellos mismos Estoy mirando un grupo de gusanos Con mis ojos cerrados Ya sabes donde hay sol El tiempo pasa El oscuro rodea el aire El oscuro es un largo frio interminable como es congelado Ya sabes el tiempo llega cuando la discussion se permite Para justification propia Ansia llamando sueno Otra vez gusanos se juntan Hablan mierda Come mierda repite y pone en el oscuro Mis ojos toda via estan cerrado Mi camino es estrecho ...

Pokemon Best Wishes Anime Preview [HD] Pokemon Sunday has revealed the full character designs of Iris, the new female companion to Ash, as well as a new male character, Dento; both will appear in Best Wishes, the next "season" of the anime that will take place in the Isshu region. Iris is confirmed to have a Kibago as seen in the character sheet leaked a few weeks ago, but nothing is known about Dento at this point in time. Click the screenshots below to enlarge them. During one of the segments, the Pokemon Sunday crew was able to get inside the new Black and White tour buses that will be traveling around Japan this month. They tried out the game demo inside, battling Belle, Cheren, and encountering a wild Shimama on a rainy route. It is interesting to note that Shimama's mane was white during the first part of the battle, but once it used an Electric-type attack, the mane started to glow yellow... could we have varying animations like this with other Pokemon? Next week, the show promises to reveal more details on Victini.

Pokemon Best Wishes Update Pokemon Sunday has revealed the full character designs of Iris, the new female companion to Ash, as well as a new male character, Reimu; both will appear in Best Wishes, the next "season" of the anime that will take place in the Isshu region. Iris is confirmed to have a Kibago as seen in the character sheet leaked a few weeks ago, but nothing is known about Reimu at this point in time. Click the screenshots below to enlarge them. During one of the segments, the Pokemon Sunday crew was able to get inside the new Black and White tour buses that will be traveling around Japan this month. They tried out the game demo inside, battling Belle, Cheren, and encountering a wild Shimama on a rainy route. It is interesting to note that Shimama's mane was white during the first part of the battle, but once it used an Electric-type attack, the mane started to glow yellow... could we have varying animations like this with other Pokemon? We'll post a video of this footage later. Next week, the show promises to reveal further details on Victini.

Interview with Boeoes Kaelstigen @ Bunkafunk in Tokyo Bunkafunk was a music revue held at Superdeluxe in Roppongi. It focused on fusing Swedish and Japanese culture, featuring 2 bands from each country. Sidechild was among the bands to perform at the event. This video is part of a series of exclusive backstage coverage and interviews with the bands. To learn more about Boeoes Kaelstigen, check out their myspace: www.myspace.com To learn more about Superdeluxe (one of the hippest venues in Tokyo), check out their homepage: www.super-deluxe.com

Interview with White Scooper @ Bunkafunk in Tokyo Bunkafunk was a music revue held at Superdeluxe in Roppongi. It focused on fusing Swedish and Japanese culture, featuring 2 bands from each country. Sidechild was among the bands to perform at the event. This video is part of a series of exclusive backstage coverage and interviews with the bands. To learn more about White Scooper, check out their myspace: www.myspace.com To learn more about Superdeluxe (one of the hippest venues in Tokyo), check out their homepage: www.super-deluxe.com

SideChild bonus footage - Goals in Japan Bunkafunk was a music revue held at Superdeluxe in Roppongi. It focused on fusing Swedish and Japanese culture, featuring 2 bands from each country. Sidechild was among the bands to perform at the event. This video is part of a series of exclusive backstage coverage and interviews with the bands. To learn more about SideChild, check out their myspace: www.myspace.com To learn more about Superdeluxe (one of the hippest venues in Tokyo), check out their homepage: www.super-deluxe.com

SideChild Bonus Footage - Food Interview Bunkafunk was a music revue held at Superdeluxe in Roppongi. It focused on fusing Swedish and Japanese culture, featuring 2 bands from each country. Sidechild was among the bands to perform at the event. This video is part of a series of exclusive backstage coverage and interviews with the bands. To learn more about SideChild, check out their myspace: www.myspace.com To learn more about Superdeluxe (one of the hippest venues in Tokyo), check out their homepage: www.super-deluxe.com

Tags: war, finance, division, japan, world, ii, united, states, government, labor, later, leaders, left-wing, letters, liberal, macarthur, magazine, mainichi, major, matsumoto, meiji, constitution, militarists, military, ministry, nagasaki, nihon, occupation, forces, occupied, officials, panpan, peace, political, popular, postsurrender, postwar, potsdam, proclamation, press, prime, minister, prisoners, published, reform, responsibility, revision, revolution, role, scap, sengo, september, shi, tokyo, shidehara, showa, snnz, soviet, japan, japanese knotweed, japanese names, japanese translation, japan centre, japanese food, japanese, japan airlines, japan facts, japanese art www.heidirettig.com