Four Photograph Albums Documenting Training and Service in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Interwar Years
- Used
- very good
- Condition
- Very good
- Seller
-
Chehalis, Washington, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Very good. Four photograph albums containing a total of 558 mounted images documenting military training and service in Japan in 1920s and 30s, all in very good condition. Although we acquired these albums together, they appear to have belonged to different people. Most, if not all, were officers. One album has handwritten captions, the others do not, but do have some group photographs with captions in the negative. Two identity documents are tipped in to one album that, we are told, are for people with the family names Yokoo and Hayashi. During the interwar years, Japanese culture was pervaded by the conviction that a strong military was the solution to most problems, foreign and domestic. The Army enjoyed considerable independence from the civilian government, and various factions within the military played a major role in directing the country's foreign policy. As described by historian David Hunter-Chester in The Culture of Military Organizations, (Cambridge, 2019) the Imperial Japanese Army's "organizational culture produced tough, proficient, and courageous soldiers." These albums reflect great pride in military service, with numerous images of their subjects in dress uniform (singly and in groups) and engaged in military exercises, including bayonet training, firing machine guns, field and parade drills, physical fitness (ropes course, gymnastics), equestrian training, cleaning and assembly of weapons, and more. There are also images of soldiers in the classroom, at leisure (sporting events, sumo, at a public bath, etc.), and at special events and celebrations—the latter characterized by an abundance of Japanese and Imperial Army flags. These albums reflect an ethos that was soon to vanish. The military culture of pride in excellence, according to Hunter-Chester, "left it unable to deal with military losses; it was a culture that prized reputation over public honesty, ritualized death and placed its own judgment above question. According to its own creed, the [Army] should have ‘done its utmost to protect the state.' Instead its soldiers are remembered in Japan and much of the world as ‘beasts.'".
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Details
- Bookseller
- Walkabout Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 20997
- Title
- Four Photograph Albums Documenting Training and Service in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Interwar Years
- Book Condition
- Used - Very good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- Japan Military History Training Photography
- Bookseller catalogs
- Photography;
- Vbf_category
- 10105
Terms of Sale
Walkabout Books
All books returnable for any reason within 21 days of receipt, provided they are in the original condition. Shipping costs fully refunded if an item is misdescribed or defective. Refund of purchase price only for returns for other reasons.
About the Seller
Walkabout Books
Biblio member since 2011
Chehalis, Washington
About Walkabout Books
Walkabout Books is an antiquarian bookstore located in southwest Washington State. We specialize in Americana and the literature of travel and adventure, including travel narratives, travel and tourism ephemera (travel diaries, vintage brochures, guidebooks, etc), exploration, mountaineering, and other outdoor pursuits. We also carry interesting and unusual books in many other fields.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Tipped In
- Tipped In is used to describe something which has been glued into a book. Tipped-in items can include photos, book plates,...