Momotaro no Umiwashi (1943) was a Japanese animated propaganda film, targeted at children and was a dramatization of the events at Pearl Harbor. Momotaro no Umiwashi translates into English is “Momotaro’s Sea Eagles”, which is a reference to the naval air force that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 (History.com.) Eagles were a symbol of national patriotism in Japan, which gave the movie a heroic connotation. This 37 minute feature depicts “the story of a naval unit consisting of the human Momotarô and several animal species representing the Far Eastern races fighting together for a common goal.” (Sanchez).
Bluto (right) was also featured in the movie as an American naval officer, as well as a drunk. Bluto was originally from the American cartoon Popeye as the antagonist. Making him a drunk in Momotaro no Umiwashi negatively portrayed American soldiers, reinforcing stereotypes made by the Japanese government.
Work Cited
History.com Staff. "Pearl Harbor." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 01 Jan. 2009. Web. 05
June 2016.
Momotaro No Umiwashi. Dir. Seo Mitsuyo. Ministry of Education of Japan, 1943. Youtube. Youtube, 10 May 2015. Web. 5 June 2016.
Sanchez, J. "Momotaro's Sea Eagles." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 05 June 2016.
Bluto Picture:
http://blog.vision-strike-wear.com/was-popeye-a-coastie-or-a-navy-sailor/
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