1945 Shogakukan Pictorial Map of China and Sugoroku Game
This item has been sold.
[War In China] / Shogaku Rokunensei (小学六年生)
War as a game.
- Digital Map Information
- Suitable for large format printing
- Full resolution TIFF file
- ICC color profile embedded
- Delivered instantly via download link
War as a game.
A striking Japanese propaganda pictorial / manga map and sugoroku game board issued by Shogakukan (小學館) for its Shogaku Rokunensei (小学六年生; [Sixth Grader]) magazine in January of 1945, the final year of World War II. The map covers most of China from the Great Wall to Taiwan and Hainan. Rivers are greatly exaggerated. Despite the desperate situation that Japanese forces were then in, Japanese soldiers, battleships, and warplanes are featured throughout in heroic poses. The verso contains additional content further propagandizing the war effort.Sugoroku
The essence of the game, generally known as simplified sugoroku, is akin to the western board game, snakes and ladders. Historically there are two variants of sugoroku, one that is similar to backgammon, and the presently offered 'snakes and ladders' variant. This version of the game appeared as early as the 13th century, and was popularized by the rise of printing technology, especially in the Edo and Meiji periods, leading to the production of high-quality visually-arresting gameboards. A standard sugoroku board has a starting point, the furi-dashi, and a winding or spiral path terminating at the agari or finish-line. The gameplay itself, not unlike 'snakes and ladders,' is a race to the finish.Publication History and Census
This broadside map was published as a New Year supplement for Shogaku Rokunensei (小学六年生) in January 1945. We are aware of no other surviving examples.Cartographer
Shogakukan (小學館; August 8, 1922 - Present) is a Tokyo-based Japanese educational, nonfiction and manga publisher. The firm was founded by Takeo Ōga (相賀武夫; April 2, 1897 - August 12, 1938) in 1922. Takeo graduated from elementary school and immediately went to work for Takamatsu Agricultural College. From 1911 he worked as a clerk for Tokutaro Yoshida, owner of Yoshida Bookstore in Okayama City. In 1922, Takeo founded Shogakukan in Nishiki-cho, Kanda-ku, Tokyo with Iwajiro Yoshida and Tokutaro Yoshida. In that year he launched grade-specific magazines for 5th and 6th grade, respectively. Takeo Ōga died in 1938, having literally worked himself to death, and the business was taken over by his son Tetsuo Ōga (大賀哲夫), who formally incorporated Shogakukan in 1945. The firm published various children's magazines with a military propaganda angle throughout World War II. Today they are known for supporting new Manga artists. Today they are a major publishing concern managed by Takeo's grandson. Further Details...
Condition
Very good. Printed propaganda on verso.