This section introduces a selection of unique photos taken from the many different images that adorned the cover of Shashin Shuho. The color photos used here are photos of actual copies of Shashin Shuho held at the National Archives of Japan that were taken with a digital camera.

The photo above is of the cover of the first issue of Shashin Shuho, which was published on February 13, 1938. This cover photo was taken by Ihei Kimura, and was prepared by adding color to certain parts of the photo originally taken in black and white. The cover photos for the following issues were prepared using basically the same method
(For more about Kimura and his connection with Shashin Shuho, see “1. Famous photographers appearing in Shashin Shuho” in the Topics section “Famous individuals appearing in Shashin Shuho.”)

The above photo on the left is the cover of issue No. 22 of Shashin Shuho from July 13, 1938. At first glance it is not clear what the subject of the photo is, but the explanation given at the end of the issue reveals that it is “a sailor cleaning the bow of the Imperial Japanese Navy warship Isuzu while it was anchored at Yokosuka Naval Port.” The above photo on the right is the cover of issue No. 23 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on July 20, 1938. It is also difficult to initially make out what is pictured in this photo, but at the end of the issue we find the following description: “The power of the hinomaru bento (a box lunch with a Japanese flag-like decoration) provides ammunition for the economic battle: Rice balls taken through a super wide-angle lens.”

Covers depicting battlefield subjects were also used during the Sino-Japanese War. The above photo on the left is the cover of issue No. 30 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on August 31, 1938. The end of the issue contains the following description for this photo “Insects chirping in the autumn fields. I stop and find the enemy’s helmet on the ground. The autumn air glistens in the light of the fading sun.” The photo shows a helmet with the emblem of the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party), whose troops were fighting against the Japanese. The above photo on the right is the cover of issue No. 44 of Shashin Shuho from December 14, 1938. The following dialogue between a soldier and a cameraman on a battlefield in China was presented at the end of the issue.
 “Do you want to take a photo of me eating rice? How about this?”
 “That’s fine. Please stay still.”
 (The soldier looks at the armband of the cameraman.)
 I see. You’re from the Photo Group of the Cabinet Intelligence Department.”
 “That’s right. These photos will appear in Shashin Shuho.”
 “Really? It’d probably be best if you took a picture of a soldier who didn’t look as rough as me.”

The photos above are the covers of issue No. 66 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on May 24, 1939, issue No. 74 from September 19, 1939, and issue No. 76, which was published on August 2, 1939. As the photos show, the covers of Shashin Shuho often featured female subjects to which strong contrasting colors were applied.

The above photo on the left is the cover of issue No. 82 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on September 14, 1939. The following photo description of feeding fish to a panther can be found at the end of the issue.
 “I have decided to eat sardines.
Our human masters who look after us are working very hard to develop the New Order in East Asia, a truly grand undertaking. They are even wearing staple fibers (artificial silk) and putting up with meals consisting of only one bowl of soup and a single side dish. It’d be a pity if we are raised on expensive meats when all we do is spend our time sleeping. That was why I made the decision a little while ago to eat sardines instead of meat. At first, I was put off by their fishy smell and small bones, but eventually I got used to them and now rather enjoy them. Any complaints on my part would bring punishment.”
The above photo on the right is the cover of issue No. 132 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on September 4, 1940. This photo also looks strange at a glance, but comments at the end of the issue provide the following description:
 “The mountain of baby dolls pictured in this photo is made up of celluloid dolls with blue eyes.
However, these dolls have all been made in Japan and will be shipped overseas from Japanese ports to the South Sea Islands, India, Australia, and North and South America where people speak different languages. Do you think they’ll cry because they are lonely when they arrive at a port in the South Sea where palm trees are growing? No they won’t. Instead, they will feel proud knowing that they are there to earn money for purchasing the large amounts of goods needed to carry on the war.”
The explanations above show how cover photos which initially appear to have nothing to do with the war actually present certain aspects of Japan during the ongoing Sino-Japanese War.

The attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 and the landing of Japanese troops on the Malay Peninsula the following day on December 8 sparked the Pacific War (the Great East Asia War). The covers of Shashin Shuho at this time also presented photos directly related to the opening of the war. The photo above on the left is of the cover of issue No. 199 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on December 17, 1941. This is the first issue to cover the opening of the war against the United States and the United Kingdom, and carries the slogan “Rise 100 million strong! The U.S. and U.K. are now our foes!”
The photo above in the middle is of the cover of issue No. 200 of Shashin Shuho from December 24, 1941. The end of the issue contains the following comments about the cover:
“The brave deeds of our combined fleet air corps, which destroyed the main fleets of the United States and the United Kingdom in the Pacific Ocean within a mere three days of the start of the war, are now proudly known at home and abroad.
Our new carrier fighters fly heroically through clouds on their way to strike the enemy.”
The above photo on the right is the cover of issue No. 201 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on December 31, 1941.

From this point on, the majority of the photos that adorned the cover dealt largely with subjects directly related to the war. The above photo on the left is of the cover of issue No. 214 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on April 1, 1942. The cover features a photo of Japanese troops occupying Rangoon, Burma. The photo above in the middle is the cover of issue No. 273 of Shashin Shuho from May 26, 1943. The end of this issue contains the following message related to the cover:
“Gather together and strike us all at once. Our main fleet confidently awaits the opportunity to annihilate the enemy fleet on the Pacific.
While the enemy has lost 13 of its main ships and has suffered a fatal blow to its naval prowess, our main fleet remains strong. The Imperial Navy stands magnificently here on the 38th Navy Day.”
However, the actual situation was far different. The fighting ability of the Japanese Navy had waned significantly following the Battle of Midway Island the previous year on June 5, 1942, where it had lost four aircraft carriers and a number of other ships. In addition, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto had been killed during an inspection tour of the battlefront when the plane in which he was flying was shot down over Bougainville Island on April 18, 1943, approximately one month prior to the date of issue No. 273 Shashin Shuho. (See the corresponding items in the “Timeline” section for more information about these events.)
The above photo on the right of is the cover of issue No. 294 of Shashin Shuho, which was published on October 20, 1943. A photo of student taking part in military training was selected in light of the nearly complete abolishment of draft deferments for students following the promulgation of the “Extraordinary Special Exemption on Extending the Conscription Period for Students” on October 1, 1943.

From the first issue to issue No. 314 from March 22, 1944, Shashin Shuho was published in an A4 format featuring cover photos with slogans consisting of only a few words (such as in the above photo on the left). However, beginning with issue No. 315, which was published on March 22, 1944, the style of Shashin Shuho changed to an A3 format. As can be seen in the above photo on the right, the cover photo began to carry the Toki no Tatefuda (Slogan of the Times) message, which had been originally been presented on the back of the cover.

The photos above (from the left) are the covers of issue No. 318 of Shashin Shuho from April 26, 1944, issue No. 320 from May 10, 1944, and issue No. 321 from May 17, 1944.

The photos above (from the left) are the covers of issue No. 327 of Shashin Shuho from w June 28, 1944, issue No. 328 from July 5, 1944, and joint issue No. 330 and 331 from July 26, 1944.