1932 Manchukuo Founding & Shanghai Incident Photo Album Large Format Pictorial
This is a rare large-format pictorial album titled “Manchukuo Founding and the Shanghai Incident”, published in 1932 (Showa 7) by Yokohama Trading News Co. It features numerous original photographs, maps, and calligraphy, documenting the turbulent events in East Asia during the early 1930s. Following the Mukden Incident (September 1931), the Japanese Kwantung Army occupied Manchuria. In March 1932, the puppet state of Manchukuo was proclaimed with the last Qing emperor Puyi as its head of state. For Japan, Manchukuo became both an economic and military stronghold, while the international community strongly criticized it as illegitimate, leading to Japan’s growing isolation in world affairs. In January 1932, hostilities broke out in Shanghai between Japanese and Chinese forces. Intense urban combat followed, including the deployment of Japanese Navy Special Landing Forces. After months of fighting, a ceasefire was signed in May. The scale and violence of the conflict marked a deep escalation in Sino-Japanese tensions. Showa 7 (1932) – A Turning Point. March: Manchukuo officially proclaimed. January-May: First Shanghai Incident. May: Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi assassinated in the May 15 Incident. This year marked a decisive shift in Japan’s path toward militarization and international isolation, eventually leading to its withdrawal from the League of Nations. ? Contents of This Album. Portraits of the Emperor & Empress. Photographs of the Manchurian Incident and Shanghai Incident. Large fold-out color map with railways and battlefields. Calligraphy pages by notable figures. Rare action photos of Japanese military operations. The outer cover shows significant wear due to age, but the internal pages and photographs remain intact. Overall, this is a valuable contemporary primary source that preserves the atmosphere and visual record of 1932. A highly important reference for historians, researchers, and serious collectors of Japanese pre-WWII militaria and Asian history. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note. Thank you for your understanding.