''My Japan'' is a 1945 American anti-Japanese propaganda short film produced to spur sale of American

war bond War bonds (sometimes referred to as victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are Security (finance)#Debt, debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an un ...

s. The film takes the form of a mock travelogue 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 Information The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a United States government agency created during World War II. The OWI operated from June 1942 until September 1945. Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films and other ...

, which was responsible for promoting the sale of all securities offered to the public by the Treasury Department. Th
1945 United States Government Manual
outlines their rights and responsibilities, stating: ''My Japan'' was the only film produced by the War Finance Division in 1945.

Content

The technique used in ''My Japan'' is a form of

reverse psychology Reverse psychology is a technique involving the assertion 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 is actually desired. This techn ...

—to make Americans angry with themselves for their materialistic values, and then turn this anger against the enemy: The film also seeks to anger Americans by belittling their military achievements up to that point:

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:

Propaganda comparisons

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

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

. 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 is 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 by 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''

. Newspaper articles of the time were distinctly pro-war and contribute to the overwhelming number of sources encouraging Americans to buy war bonds: 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.

References

*Bartelt, Edward F
''"United States Government Manual - 1945 (Treasury Department)."''
http://www.ibiblio.org. United States Office of War Information. 8 Nov 2006 .
u-s-history.com
Oregon Coast. 7 Nov 2006 .
World War II Multimedia Database
MFA Productions LLC. 7 Nov 2006 . *''Chicago Daily Tribune''. “Mayor and Aids Take Over Bond Program Today.�
Chicago Daily Tribune
28 May 1945. *Clancey, Patrick
ibiblio
HyperWar Project. 7 Nov 2006 .
''"Guide to Federal Records - Records of the Office of War Information"''
https://www.archives.gov. 1995.

National Archives and Records Administration The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

. 7 Nov 2006 . *''My Japan''. Videocassette. United States Office of War Information, 1945.
''"My Japan 1945"''Information Clearing House
7 Nov 2006 .
Statistics Bureau & Statistical Research and Training Institute
7 Nov 2006 .
U.S. News Classroom
U.S. News & World Report. 7 Nov 2006 . *Newcomb, Richard
University of San Diego History Department
1982.

University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in San Diego, California, United States. Chartered in 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University ...

. 7 Nov 2006 .

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:My Japan 1945 films American World War II propaganda shorts United States government films Articles containing video clips American black-and-white films American short documentary films Films set in Japan 1945 short documentary films Japan in non-Japanese culture 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language documentary films English-language war films