Right after the beginning of the Russo Japanese war, the Japanese government gave the public instruction not to have hostility toward ordinary Russians. From political viewpoint, that might be from their cold calculation in that... <This War was being watched by the world.> <Japan needed to show its morality to join the world powers club.> <It was not wise to let the war defined as the one like "a Christian country VS. a non-Christian"> Apart from politics, "humanism" actually, occasionally, arose in the battlefields. Japan's red cross medic unit aided the wounded regardless of friend or foe. One day, during a fierce battle between Japanese infantry & Russian trench, some Japanese soldier got wounded near the enemy trench. Everyone saw him still alive but unable to move. Suddenly , a Russian officer stood up, walked to the Japanese wounded, lifted & carried him back to the Japanese troops, meanwhile gun fires ceased. Another day, during the Siege of Port Arthur, a Russian coin wrapped in paper came down from their position, which was picked up by a Japanese soldier and sent to the 3rd Army's Headquarters. The paper said " Asking the Japanese troops. Please send this letter to my mother in Russia to let her know I am fine. Use this coin for the postage" General Maresuke Nogi, the commander of the 3rd Army, ordered to send the letter, making up for shortage of postage fee.
This type of humanism was often described in Russo Japanese War artworks. I feel Russo Japanese war art is more objective conveying the war information as it is than the one afterward, showing dead Japanese soldiers, humanism episodes, and even "saving the enemy". When it comes to humanism, though it does not contribute to raising fighting spirits or national prestige, it makes sense in order to convey war information as it really is. Also, It must have been an ideal method to tell importance of morality , as morality in emergency is the genuine one.
In artworks of 2nd Sino Japanese war and Pacific War, "humanism" or "saving the enemy" description disappeared, otherwise it became propaganda-like. And Japanese soldiers are hardly killed in it. That makes sense for national prestige. But I prefer the Russo Japanese wartime.
(related category in my collection gallery site) http://japanwarart.ocnk.net/product-list/3 Russo Japanese war gave rise to "postcard boom" in Japan. Raised cardboard materials quality, more war-correspondents providing information to people in japan than the past wars or conflicts, thus more battle stories to excite people. Artists had better material & more information than before. One more thing different from the past is that this war appeared to be a sort of "World War", having a complex of the world powers' interests, especially Britain & America.
Postcards took the role of providing the world politics information to japanese people, as well as battle matters. One of features of Russo Japanese war postcards is many of them show "The world is on our side". Since the the Meiji Restoration , Japanese government had been striving to let the country ranked with so called "the First-Class Powers" I can see Japan's joy of "the world powers' support (UK & US)"in artworks of Russo Japanese war postcards and related political art ones made before , after and during the war time.
By the way, artworks showing friendship with US & UK in or around Russo Japanese Wartime turned out to be harsh & controversial to them in Pacific War time.. Comparison between these might be interesting. As for wartime "Anti Art", I will post some comments later. hostile artworks showing anti america & britain
I am a collector of wartime paper materials, ( Artworks relating to Imperial Japanese Army , Navy and homefront activities) as I am interested in knowing how the ART itself reflected the social atmosphere at wartime , and how the ART actually responded & acted towards what were needed at those emergency times.
My collection site My Ebay Store All items in my collections are from their original era Russo-Japanese War / Sino Japanese War / World War 1 Establishment of Manchukuo (Manchuria ) & China Puppet Government Border conflicts with Soviet Alliance with Nazi Germany and Italy Pacific War , and... Card Toys reflecting the Cold War Age ( Nuclear Age , Atomic Age )
