• Original U.S. O.W.I Leaflet 110 Pacific War Propaganda Campaign, Japan, 1944-1945
  • Original U.S. O.W.I Leaflet 110 Pacific War Propaganda Campaign, Japan, 1944-1945

    Original U.S. O.W.I Leaflet 110 Pacific War Propaganda Campaign, Japan, 1944-1945

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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 maternal care and national duty with the consequences of war, using stark visual symbolism to frame sacrifice and death.

    Leaflet Number: No. 110
    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: “Mother and child” / “Certain death” (paired visual slogans)
    Back: Text discusses the inevitability of death in war, contrasting the value of life with the consequences of conflict and sacrifice for the nation.

    "What is an honorable death?
    It is to carry out a valiant act for the sake of the nation and meet one’s end in doing so. A mere “great death” is not an honorable death.

    What is an honorable life?
    It is to preserve oneself and devote oneself to the nation. A life of honor is more difficult than an honorable death, and requires greater courage."

    Imagery:
    The front presents a stark visual contrast: a mother holding a child rendered in black ink against a pink background, paired with a skull below, symbolizing death. The composition creates a direct juxtaposition between life and mortality. The reverse consists of vertically arranged Japanese text in a formal layout.

    Objective:
    To communicate the human cost of war through symbolic imagery, reinforcing themes of sacrifice, mortality, and national duty.

    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.

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