Original U.S. O.W.I Leaflet 104 Pacific War Propaganda Campaign, Japan, 1944-1945

Name: Original U.S. O.W.I Leaflet 104 Pacific War Propaganda Campaign, Japan, 1944-1945
Brand: KHAJISTAN™
Price: 5000.0 USD
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Original double-sided Japanese propaganda leaflet produced during World War II in the Pacific theater. Printed in Japanese, the leaflet contrasts surrender and survival with resistance and destruction, framing compliance as the only path to life.

Leaflet Number: No. 104
Operation: Pacific War Propaganda Campaign
Conflict / War: World War II
Year: 1937–1945
Country / Theater: Imperial Japan / Pacific Theater
Language(s): Japanese
Format: Original printed leaflet, double-sided
Provenance: Airdropped leaflet acquired from the family of a U.S. military commander.

Translation:
Front: “This is the path of new life.” / “This is the path of destruction.” (paired contrast between survival and death)
Back: Text emphasizes that continued resistance leads to death and suffering, while surrender offers the possibility of survival and a new beginning.

"The purpose is clear. Even if one is born, one must be prepared to die at any time.To preserve one’s life and cling to it is not the true way of life. The true life is to devote oneself to the nation, and through that, to fulfill one’s duty. In war, life and death stand side by side. Death is not something new; it is always close at hand. Those who understand this clearly are the ones who truly live."

Imagery:
The front is divided into two contrasting scenes: one shows a figure, while the other depicts a battlefield scene with barbed wire and destruction. The composition creates a clear visual opposition between life and death.

Objective:
To encourage surrender by presenting it as the rational and life-preserving choice, while depicting continued resistance as leading to inevitable destruction.

Featured in American War Propaganda Leaflets, 1990–2022, Khajistan Press.

Exhibited in Khajistan: Office of War Information (O.W.I.) at Pioneer Works, New York, May 08 – Aug 09, 2026.