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Filipinos waving Japanese flags

This photograph is from the May 19, 1943 edition of the Photographic Weekly Report (Shashin Shuho), which was a weekly pictorial journal published by the Japanese Cabinet Intelligence Department during the interwar years of 1938-1945. This magazine functioned as propaganda that the Japanese government used to shape public moral for the war. This photograph depicts Filipinos waving Japanese flags as they listen to the Japanese Prime Minister Tojo in the Philippines. This photograph served to portray to Japanese civilians the success and acceptance of other countries of Japan's leadership in the Pacific, although this was far from the case. The image caption translates to: "Filipinos filled Luneta Park [Rizal Park] for the Philippine Citizen's Rally to Express Gratitude, and their ears clearly heard, through each fiery word uttered by Prime Minister Tojo, the greatness of Axis leader Japan, and the righteousness of Japan's leadership." (Translation from: David C. Earhart, ed., "Certain Victory: Images of World War II in the Japanese Media" (Armonk, NE: M.E. Sharpe, 2008), 294)

Jacar (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records), "A Window into the Early Show Period: Shashin Shuho: Weekly Photographic Journal," May 19, 1943 issue, https://www.jacar.go.jp/english/shuhou-english/pdf/all/A06031086700.pdf

1943-05-19

Public Domain

PWR_FilipinosWavingJapaneseFlags.jpg