On November 26, 1941 (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) this document was delivered personally by Secretary of State Hull to Ambassador to America Kichisaburo Nomura and Extraordinary Ambassador Saburo Kurusu. The document contained a demand for Japanese forces to withdraw all troops "from China and from Indochina." This demand was perceived as a de facto ultimatum, thus bringing Japan a step closer to deciding upon war with the United States of America.

On December 7, 1941 at 2:20 PM (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), Ambassador to America Kichisaburo Nomura and Extraordinary Ambassador Saburo Kurusu personally delivered a document entitled "Memorandum to the United States" to Secretary of State Hull. This document, pertaining to Japan's de facto ultimatum, indicated that war was inevitable between the two countries.

This Imperial edict of December 8, 1941 declared war against the United States and United Kingdom.


Bound edict drafts found in the lower of the two images above include the second draft proposal through the sixth draft proposal.

Shashin Shuho issue number 279 of July 7, 1943. Examples of wartime garment simplification are introduced in images 9 through 10 of the article "This is Decisive Battle Clothing."

Shashin Shuho issue number 277 of June 23, 1943. Seeing the 6th image of the article "Cultivate Railroad Tracks into Farmlands," one can grasp the wartime state of affairs in Tokyo, such as efforts to convert roads into farmland to counter wartime supply shortages with an urgent need to increase food provisions.

The first of the three Shashin Shuho issue covers above was the earliest Shashin Shuho dated December 17, 1941, to convey the news of the outbreak of the Pacific War. This cover's headline reads: "Now, a Hundred-Million Must Know, the Enemies are America and Britain!"


The second cover above is Shashin Shuho issue number 294 of October 20, 1943. In this cover, pictures were used of students participating in military training. This depiction reflects 1943's deterioration of wartime conditions, which resulted in an official announcement on the 1st of October titled "Temporary Recruitment Postponement Exception for Enrolled Students." This announcement virtually repealed student conscription deferment measures.


The third of the covers above is from Shashin Shuho issue number 328 of July 5, 1944. This magazine strongly advocated the need to prepare for air-raids following a U.S. Boeing B-29 Superfortress military air-raid on Kitakyushu-City on June 15, 1944. The cover of the magazine conveys the pressing mood of this time.

This report is a Detailed Engagement Report on the activities of the "Kamikaze Unit" in the Battle of Leyte Gulf of October 24, 1944. The Japanese navy formed Kamikaze special attack units for the first time in this October incursion.

This is the issue of Shashin Shuho of November 15, 1944. The cover shows a portrait of Lieutenant Yukio Seki, who, as commanding officer of the Kamikaze special attack unit Shikishima, banzai-attacked a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the October Battle of Leyte Gulf. The 2nd and 3rd images report "military gains" of Shikishima and other Kamikaze special attack units.

Detailed Engagement Report showing the damaged condition of Battleship Yamato, which participated in the October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf.

This document is a report of the Second Torpedo Squadron, which formed the Second Fleet with the Battleship Yamato and other vessels in April 1945. The Second Fleet then sortied towards Okinawa. The document chronicles the damaged condition of the armada's warships, includes image 26 which explains where torpedo attacks impacted Yamato.

This is the full text of the Potsdam Declaration in Japanese, issued on July 26, 1945 by the United States, Britain, and China. Afterwards, on August 8 of the same year, the Soviet Union declared war against Japan, joining in on the Potsdam Declaration.

This is a document compiled on July 29, 1945 by the Ministry of Home Affairs Police Bureau Security Division on varied Japanese responses to the Potsdam Declaration. Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki, on July 28, expressed to the press corps his intention to "ignore" [mokusatsu] the Potsdam Declaration. Domestic responses to the government’s intention to “ignore” the Potsdam Declaration are introduced in images 7 and 8.

This official document concerns Japan's attempt to mediate conflict with Allied Powers with the Soviet Union from July 30th―four days after the issuance of the Potsdam Declaration―to August 7th, two days before the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. In the first three of the images, Ambassador to the Soviet Union Naotake Sato's negative opinion is stated concerning war mediation efforts by a special envoy dispatched to the USSR. However, images 10 and 11 show Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo's optimistic view, anticipating the dispatch of a special envoy be made regardless of Sato's opinion.

Compiled by the Imperial General Headquarters Army Department, this situational analysis report looked over matters concerning the Potsdam Declaration as well as developments in the Soviet Union. A draft report titled "Observations on American's War Leadership Following Russia's Participation in War Against Japan" appears in image 25 and those after it. This report dated August 10, 1945 had its origins in the Soviet Union's proclamation of war against Japan on August 9 of the same year. This paper predicted where in East Asia the United States of America would seek to have absolute hegemony, what locations the U.S. would try to maintain initiative over, where the U.S. would recognize Soviet preferential rights maintaining its right to a voice, and where the U.S. would recognize Soviet absolute authority. In addition, a perspective was expressed about the Japanese mainland (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) being first placed under joint Allied control "continually ensuring an autonomous status of the U.S.," after which Japan would be allowed to regain its sovereignty under severe conditions.


This document, moreover, pointed out the "atomic-bomb attack effect" as a key factor to determining the date and scale of U.S. invasions on the Japanese homeland.

This "Imperial Edict Terminating the Greater East Asia War," was issued based upon a decision made at an Imperial Conference to accept the Potsdam Declaration on August 14, 1945.