Picture of the Day - Miscellaneous

[Shinpachi]

Sorry for no English subtitles and a little bit longer but, as a historical record, please let me post this rare picture I recently found.
Full footage of the Greater East Asia Conference held on November 5, 1943 in Tokyo.
What to be remarked is - This conference is the origin of later ASEAN and what some delegates speak in English also interests me.
Thanks.

 

[Shinpachi]

Concept of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere introduced to the Japanese kids during the war.
My generation was banned to talk about it at school.

In Thailand

Data source:
大東亜戦争の世界史的意義 - タッチャンの散歩

 

[Wurger]

 

[Shinpachi]

As you would see, Japanese were not necessarily aware of Canadians, and Russians, as enemy regardless they joined the war or not

 

[Shinpachi]

Masakatsu Hamamoto (1905-1996)

He was the first Asian graduate of Harvard University as a Japanese immigrant in the US.
Until the war broke out, he served as a manager for Ford Motor Co in Manchuria.
During the war, he was asked many important roles by the army like official interpreter for Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, special adviser for Philippine President Jose Laurel and chief of the POW camp for the allied officers in Manila.

Hamamoto (left) with Yamashita(center) in Manila, 1945

After the war was over, he was sued as war criminal but liberated soon because his senior officer General Tomoyuki Yamashita testified that Hamamoto was originally a civilian merchant though he had a rank of army major. General MacArthur was interested in him later but it was too late to find him again. He could be a man who knew a lot about Japanese leadership during the war but spent the rest of his life as an ordinary businessman for Osawa Co (camera dealer) and Seiko Co (watch maker).

Therefore, there are few official records left on him but can be found a few which wrote about him in the internet like this.

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's really interesting, thanks for posting that!

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks David and guys.
A happy new year soon

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff shinpachi!

 

[fubar57]

Agreed, always learning something new here

 

[Shinpachi]

The Harley-Davidson for IJA circa 1930.

Data source:
History of the KUROGANE Military Vehicles of Japanese Army
http://dlisv03.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/contents/osakacu/kiyo/111C0000001-82.pdf

 

[vikingBerserker]

Awesome!

 

[Shinpachi]

Copies. Can't win with copies.

Source:
武紗ぶるい

 

[fubar57]

Caption says "Japanese Frances Ginga and Judy Suisei aircraft at Atsugi Airfield, Tokyo, Japan, post-war; note some propellers removed to prevent unauthorized flights"

 

[vikingBerserker]

Man, what I would give to own those!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Shinpachi]

Recycled duralumin products during 1945 - 1950.

 

[fubar57]

Looking at the dates, it didn't take long to get off the war footing and back to consumer products

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's pretty impressive.

 

[Shinpachi]

No government, no restriction.
Golden days of the black market supported by Yakuza - gangster organization.

 

[fubar57]

This may be fake or it may not be. The event did happen and I'm finding good points for both sides of the argument. Quite a bit on Google so decide for yourself. The photo was taken after a Kamikaze attack on the HMS Sussex by a Ki-51 "Sonia"....