1943 Seitosha Japanese Co-prosperity Sphere Map of Luzon, Philippines

This is the 1943 (Showa 18) Seitosha (正統社) first edition map of Luzon, Philippines, from the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere series. The inclusion of the map in the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere underscores the extent of Japan's imperial ambitions for the archipelago. It is part of a broader anti-western anti-western-imperialism propaganda message promoted by Imperial Japan throughout the 1930s and 40s.

A Closer Look

The map is a beautiful piece with rich color and fine engraving. It details Luzon and some of the smaller surrounding islands, with a detailed inset of Manila. Oceanic depths are illustrated with blue shading. Roads, flight paths, and shipping routes appear in red.

Historical Context

The capture and control of the Philippines was vital to the success of the Japanese plan to dominate the Pacific. The Philippine Archipelago is rich in natural resources, including rubber, oil, mineral resources, and wood, and, from the Japanese perspective, well-positioned for expansion into the East Indies. Moreover, wresting control of the Philippines from the United States would have effectively undermined the American ability to wage war in the region. Like the Spanish before them, the Japanese quickly discovered that the hundreds of islands and limited infrastructure made the Philippines almost impossible to fully control. Nonetheless, the importance of the Philippines in the Japanese plan is evident in the fact that it is addressed in both maps 3 and 4 in the Co-Prosperity Sphere map series.

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (大東亜共栄圏) was an imperial concept created and promulgated for occupied Asian populations between 1940 and 1945 by the Empire of Japan. Hachirō Arita announced the concept on June 29, 1940. The Co-Prosperity Sphere was intended as a self-sufficient 'bloc of Asian nations led by the Japanese and free of Western powers.' It covered Southeast Asia, Eastern China, Manchuria, Japan, the East India Islands, and parts of Oceania. The idea promoted the cultural and economic unity of East Asians, Southeast Asians, and Oceanians.

Publication History

This map was drafted and designed by Ashizawa Keigo (芦沢馨吾), published by Seitosha (正統社) and distributed by Japan Publishing Distribution Co., Ltd. (日本出版配給株式會社). It is part 4 of the 20-map propaganda series illustrating the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere collectively entitled Series of Great East Asia Maps. It was printed on February 1, 1943, and released on February 5, 1943. The present example is the first edition.