1943 Toyo Bunka Kyokai Manga Propaganda Map of Burma, World War II

A colorful 1943 pictorial manga propaganda map of Burma, published by the Tōyō bunka kyōkai (Oriental Cultural Association) as a supplement to its publication Gahō Yakushin no Nihon. Typical of Japanese wartime propaganda, it presents Burma as an idyllic land of pagodas and peaceful villagers, and it moreover celebrates the establishment of an 'independent' Japanese puppet government several months earlier.

A Closer Look

Nearly the entirety of Burma is presented with its borders traced in red, and India, China, and Siam labelled beyond. The eastern portion of Burma is outlined in diagonal red lines, indicating the semi-autonomous Shan state, while other internal administrative boundaries are also recorded. Rivers, railways, mountain chains, Buddhist temples, and cities (including Rangoon or Yangon ラングーン and Mandalay マンダレー) are clearly indicated. Tellingly, the location of various natural resources are also noted, including oil (石油), rice (米), wood (木材), and tea (茶). At bottom is a box mentioning the size of Burma's population and land mass, pointing out that the latter is equivalent to the Japanese home islands and Korea combined. On the verso are illustrations and a travelogue of sorts by an artist attached to the Imperial Japanese Army in Burma. The title celebrates 'Independent Burma' (獨立國ビルマ), which was established on August 1, 1943

Japan's 'Good War'

When Japanese forces invaded multiple European colonies in Southeast Asia in December 1941, they claimed to be doing so to liberate Asian peoples from the yoke of foreign imperialism. In Burma, this message found a receptive audience as discontent with British rule was already greatly elevated in the years before World War II. Many Burmese, including the 'father' of modern Burma, Aung San, were happy to see the British go and willing collaborated with the Japanese, at least at first.

For their part, the Japanese found the Burmese commitment to Buddhism endearing and were particularly proud at having captured a major British colony that could be an inroad into India. As it was one of the main front lines of the war in Asia, and one where Japanese troops performed quite well, Burma featured prominently in wartime propaganda.

However, the realities of occupation shattered the goodwill between the Japanese and Burmese. Forced labor projects such as the infamous 'Death Railway' between Burma and Siam killed many thousands of Burmese laborers, among others. Although Japan set up a puppet Burmese government (celebrated here) led by anti-imperial activists, it lacked real autonomy and by 1943, many of the independence leaders who had welcomed Japan began plans to defect to the Allied side. Moreover, as elsewhere in East Asia, Japanese troops committed atrocities against civilians, particularly in the closing months of the war.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by an artist using the penname Maki Torao (牧とらを, real name Notoyama Gō 能登山豪), a manga artist who produced works for several publications during the war. It appeared as a supplement to the October 1943 issue of Gahō Yakushin no Nihon (畫報躍進之日本, sometimes published with the English title The Advance in Nippon), published by the Tōyō bunka kyōkai (東洋文化協會), which was an associate or subsidiary of the organization Tōyō kyōkai (東洋協會). The map is not recorded in any institutional collections, while portions of the wartime issues of Gahō Yakushin no Nihon are held by Stanford University, Harvard University, the Nichibunken (International Research Center for Japanese Studies), Leiden University, and the State Library of New South Wales.