1934 Pre-WWII Japanese Naval Affairs War Map
Overview of Military Strength in the Pacific and Far East in Emergency Times
By: Imamura Tsutomu
Date: Nov. 1934 (published) Tokyo
Dimensions: 20 x 29.5 inches (21 x 75 cm)
A fine example of a pre-WWII Japanese map showing in military forces in the Far East and Pacific theatre of war. The map created by Imamura Tsutomu and published in November, 1934 by the Tokyo based company Kaigun Graph as part of "Naval Affairs in The World."
From 1922 Japan along with the US, France, Italy and the UK signed the Washington Naval Treaty. This treaty limited the proliferation of naval power of the signing nations. Specially it gave a strength ration of 5:5:3 for UK, US and Japan. This was perceived as highly unfair by the Japanese. After Japan's withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933, a Japanese delegation was sent to London demanding naval parity with the United States. This was rejected as the Japanese delegation assumed it would be. Finally in December of 1934, a month after the publication of this map, Japan formally withdrew from the Washington Naval Treaty.
This map offers a snapshot moments before the breakdown of the interwar Washington Treaty system, and the rise of Japanese naval power. It would have been widely known and talked about in Japanese as well as international media. Japan would undertake rapid expansion of its naval fleet not long after this map was published; soon after the naval powers treaty was abrogated Japan began planning such projects as the construction of the Yamato and Musashi, two of the heaviest battleships ever constructed.
NOTE: As a reference, we have included two images with translations that are not part of the original map.
Condition: This map is in B+ condition with fold separations that have been professionally reinforced on the verso. Some soiling along a few creases as well as light offsetting from red ink is apparent.
Inventory #12139
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