As soon as the full-scale invasion of China began, a number of mainstream Japanese media outlets immediately devoted a great deal of manpower and resources to reporting on the front lines of the war in northern China and Shanghai. Among these publications, Shina Jihen Gahō is the most significant.
Shina Jihen Gahō (支那事変画報), or "The Pictorial Magazine of The Shina Incident," was a weekly published propaganda magazine by the Osaka and Tokyo Asahi news agencies during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The magazine was first published on 3 August 1937 and lasted until 1941.
The double-page spread in the Shina Jihen Gahō vol.4, published on September 10, 1937, features a collage of photographs. The photographer's name is not mentioned until the seventh volume. Unlike other pictorials, the names of the "special agents" or photographers have been included, which is an uncommon practice.
The title of the double page, "The landing force is struggling with drinking water," is a dramatic and attention-grabbing statement that is designed to evoke sympathy and support for the Japanese military.
The caption under the photograph on the right-hand side of the collage states that soldiers are buckling water from the only well in Wusong, implying that the Japanese soldiers were struggling with limited resources and facing difficult conditions in the field. This propaganda tactic aimed to portray the Japanese soldiers as brave and resilient warriors who were enduring hardships to achieve their goals. This also implies that China was a less developed country and did not have adequate resources to support its people. This propaganda tactic was used to paint Japan as a superior and more advanced nation, justifying its presence in China and its military action there.
The photograph above, featuring six soldiers and two smiling and laughing in the middle, gives the impression of camaraderie and unity among the troops. This image was intended to appeal to the Japanese public and to convey a sense of pride and patriotism in the Japanese military.
The photograph on the right depicts a scene with a Japanese soldier, an elderly Chinese woman, and a younger Chinese man. The soldier can be seen placing his gun down against a wall on the left-hand side of the photograph while the old woman in the middle is pouring water into a cup for the younger man next to her, who is holding the cup. The setting in the background of the photograph shows the house where the old woman lives, which is old and in a state of disrepair. This underscores the idea that China is a less developed country, and its people need assistance from Japan. The inclusion of the Japanese soldier and the Chinese civilians in the photograph is also a propaganda tactic aimed at creating a sense of unity between the two nations. By showing the Japanese soldier interacting in a friendly manner with the Chinese civilians, the photograph suggests that Japan is a benevolent force in China and is there to help the Chinese people.
These photographs are examples of how propaganda was used during the Second Sino-Japanese War to manipulate public opinion. The image was carefully composed and selected to evoke sympathy for the Japanese military while also portraying China as a less-developed country in need of assistance.
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