1954 Showa 29 Satirical Map of Mount Fuji, Japan as PM Shigeru Yoshida

A very curious double-sided map / diagram satirizing the Fifth Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida (1878 - 1967), in power from May 31, 1953 to December 10, 1954. The recto (front) presents a trail map to the summit of Mount Fuji - symbolizing Japan. Yoshida sits atop smoking a large cigar, while along the way the Christian socialist, Tetsu Katayama (1887 - 1978) appears as a monument. At the base of the mountain Yoshida's cabinet secretaries, each representing an aspect of Japanese governance, work their way to the top via various 'gates' or 'trails'. Some suffer mishaps along the way. The verso (back) offers a similarly intriguing map/diagram of the national political/academic/business/bureaucratic system represented as a series of interconnected rivers flowing to a sea / nation.

Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida

Shigeru Yoshida (吉田茂; September 22, 1878 - October 20, 1967) was a Japanese politician and diplomat active during the postwar period. Yoshida was born in Ōiso, Japan. He rose to political power following World War II, during the Allied occupation of Japan. Yoshida spoke excellent English and was on good terms with American and European powers, who supported his administration. General support during his first four terms as Prime Minister lent him near autocratic power to pursue his reforms. Yoshida's economic-focused policies were a stark contrast to the preceding war-driven era. Under the terms of surrender following World War II, Japan largely disbanded its military, relying on the United States for security. Yoshida saw this as an opportunity to rebuild the Japanese economy and industrial infrastructure. In doing so, he laid the groundwork for the modern Japanese economy and the Japanese economic boom from 1946 to 1972.

Fifth Yoshida Cabinet (Daigo-ji Temple Yoshida Cabinet)

The Fifth Yoshida Cabinet refers to Yoshida's election to an unprecedented and unequaled 5th term as prime minister of Japan. The Cabinet was inaugurated on May 21, 1954. Late in 1954 Hatoyama Ichirō (鳩山 一郎; January 1, 1883 - March 7, 1959), who had been taken off the Allied political purge list in 1951, challenged Yoshida for leadership of the Liberal Party, forcing him out of office. When the two conservative parties merged into the Liberal-Democratic Party under Hatoyama’s leadership in 1955, Yoshida retired from politics.

Publication History and Census

This map was issued in 1954 or Showa 29. It was printed on January 25, 1954 and released on February 5th. We are aware of only 2 known examples and none in institutional collections.