1930's Sino-Japanese War time vintage Postcards " Landscape of Mukden , China "

Japan, at war against China, but the nature China had was too magnificent to ignore for Japanese people.
Many postcards like these ones were made in Japan in the 1930's.

1900's Russo Japanese War Postcard Commemorative for the Welcome Meeting for Triumphal Return Soldiers in Hongo Ward (Tokyo) with Art Intending to Show Many Races are on Japan's Side

Japan loved making Russo Japanese War postcards showing the world are on its side, like this one, having Japanese people feel supported.

Civilian Support to Military ( donation ) / 1930's Japanese Postcards : Radio Equipment Dedicated to the Army 5th Division by Hiroshima, Yamaguchi & Shimane Pref.

Civilian support to military like this was often conducted in the 1930's.

Ministry of Army encouraged it as it helped patriotism & 

interaction between local cities & their regional divisions or regiments.

Postcards as the news media / 1910's Japanese WW1 Battle Scenes Art Postcards " The Great War of the World Powers " / austria hungary russian german french belgium army

Since the Russo Japanese War, there had been "a postcards boom" in Japan.
The WW1 main battles occurred far from Japan, and postcards like these ones were the war information source for Japanese people, along with journals and newspapers. Postcard was one of the news media.

1910's Japanese Navy WW1 Postcard : Photo of Seized German Submarine, Anti Germany Art & Description about WW1 Sea Warfare & Japanese Navy's Activity

Unlike Navy's ones, hostile artworks against Germany in Japanese Army's WW1 postcards are hardly seen, that is related to the history of the dawn of Japanese military forces.

After the Meiji Government established itself as the Empire of Japan, Imperial Japanese Army introduced the military system of the German Empire, while, Navy modeled on the British Empire.

Army kept respecting Germany even in WW1 time. 

And, No wonder Navy consented to dispatch the special duty fleet to the Mediterranean upon request of Britain.

1930's Sino-Japanese War Time Cavalry Art New Year Greeting Postcard "Now the peace matters the most" implying Japan seeks for an exit strategy for the war with its puppet government in China & Chinese civilians support

"Now the peace matters the most" implying Japan seeks for an exit strategy for the war with its puppet government in China & Chinese civilians support

1913 Japanese Army Postcards Commemorative for the Special Large Scale Maneuvers in Aichi Pref. / Civilian Support to Military

It was an honor for local cities to provide Army maneuver fields, and motivated them to make postcards like these ones.
Soldiers stayed at local private houses at night ,that helped military-civilian exchange, civilian understanding & support to military.

1930's Japanese Politics / Postcards : Poster Art for Election of the Diet Members / " senkyo shukusei undo " (election discipline movement)

Electoral fraud or vote rigging was one of huge political issues in Japan in the 1930's.

Government bureaucrats thought big influential parties & party politics itself were causing this problem, so, carried out a political movement called "senkyo shukusei undo" (election discipline movement) in order to weaken political parties. 

And, linking this movement with patriotism worked well to appeal to people.

1930's Japanese Postcard : Art of Japanese Nationalism & Anti Extremism "Protect this immortal Shinkoku (country of God) !!! Kageki Shisou (Extremism = Bolshevism ) is about to invade !!! " ( Anti Bolshevik communism soviet )

Russian revolution brought Japan communist sympathizers especially among some intellectual class people. Japan feared communism , calling it "Kageki Shisou", and the other intellectuals let Japanese tradition & loyalty to the emperor confront it like this postcard.

1930's Japanese New Year Greeting Postcard : Art of Army Paratroopers & Remark on the Wartime National Prestige "Now, Yakushin (progress) matters the most."

"Yakushin" was a popular phrase in Japan in the 1930's. 

It literally means "progress , advance ", and politically refers to expansion of the Empire, that is establishment of Manchukuo and other china puppet states. Japan called it "East Asia Unity", implying anti west.

1920's Robot & Monster Art : Japanese Menko Cards

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1920s-Robot-Monster-Art-Japanese-Menko-Cards-vintage-antique-toy-military-war-/121992167753?hash=item1c674cc149

This is how people in the 1920's thought Robots would look like. 

WW1 had changed the warfare.

Science & machinery became vital. And, war became more terrifying. 

These cards might reflect that.

Nanbokucho Era Samurai Kusunoki Masashige symbolized for patriotism in Japan / 1930's Japanese Woodblock Print Art Postcards Commemorative for the Army Special Large Scale Maneuvers in Kansai Region / Art of Samurai Battle & Shrine relating to Kansai (Osaka , Kyoto, Nara) History ( vintage antique postcards )

1930's Japanese Woodblock Print Art Postcards Commemorative for the Army Special Large Scale Maneuvers in Kansai Region / Art of Samurai Battle & Shrine relating to Kansai (Osaka , Kyoto, Nara) History

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Japanese-Woodblock-Print-Art-Postcards-Army-Drill-samurai-history-shrine-/112002653567?hash=item1a13e0dd7f

Memorial stamp saying

 "Commemorative for the Army Special Large Scale Maneuvers 14 Nov, Showa 7 (1932) The Imperial Headquarters Post "

 " Kusunoki Masashige ", symbolized for patriotism during the modern japan's wartime.

He is well known for his loyalty to the Emperor GoDaigo  in the 14th century ( so called "   Nanbokucho period ") during conflicts between the samurai government & the emperor trying to have actual & solid sovereign power back just like "their good ancient aristocracy times".

Kusunoki Masashige's hatajirushi (Flag)

( his family crest, Kikusui-mon = floating chrysanthemum)

( the Emperor Godaigo gave Kusunoki the chrysanthemum seal,

the same one as the Emperor's, as a reward for his loyalty & valor,

but Kusunoki humbly thought it was too much & he was unworthy of it,

then added floating water mark to it to show his modesty.

1910's Japanese WW1 Postcards Commemorative for Bringing the Seized German Submarines U-boat / World War I / Japanese Navy Fleet dispatch to the Mediterranean and the Cape of Good Hope at British Royal Navy request

1910's Japanese WW1 Postcards Commemorative for Bringing the Seized German Submarines

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1910s-Japanese-WW1-Postcards-German-Submarines-vintage-photo-navy-war-military-/112002658251?hash=item1a13e0efcb

Memorial stamp saying 
"Commemorative for bringing in the seized German submarines , Taisho 8 (1919) "

To reinforce the countermeasure against German destroying sea traffic with U-boats,
Britain requested Japan to dispatch a destroyer fleet to the Mediterranean and a cruiser fleet to the Cape of Good Hope.
Although those areas were not vital to the Japan's defense, 
in order to secure rights and interests in the territories under Japanese occupation.,
the leased territory of Jiaozhou and the South Sea Islands, that had been taken from Germany,
Japan dispatched Navy forces successively.
As for Army, they fought Germany in their territory, Qingdao, in which a British regiment joined on Japan's side.
By the way, Japan also was requested to send several infantry divisions to the European front, but they rejected it.