[Map of East Asia and the Pacific. A View of the Country’s Defense]

Conflicting spheres on influence in the Pacific during the mid-1930s.

This striking map centered on the Pacific Ocean was published in Tokyo in 1935 (Showa 10) as a supplement to “King” magazine. It represents a public expression of the Imperial authority and might of the Japanese military in the years leading up to World War II. Territory is colored according to the occupying authority, with the Japanese Empire highlighted in bright red, protected by its expansive fleet. The puppet state of Manchukuo, in pink, is outlined in further detailed in an inset plan (lower right).

A wealth of important details are shown throughout the image, including major transportation routes, natural resources, military installations, and various statistics. Concentric circles around airfields appear to represent the operational range of deployed bombers. Charts on the left show the comparative sizes of Soviet, Japanese, and American military forces (top) and the explosive growth of the Japanese navy (bottom). Further insets highlight the strategically important American territories of San Francisco, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, the Philippines, and Guam. The map is a clear reflection of Japanese aspirations for regional hegemony, presenting America as the greatest threat to its plans.