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Momotaro: Sacred Sailors
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Wikipedia article
is the first Japanese feature-length animated film.Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy. 'The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917. Revised and Expanded Edition'.Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2006.P. 12. It was directed by Mitsuyo Seo, who was ordered to make a propaganda film for World War II by the Japanese Naval Ministry. Shochiku Moving Picture Laboratory shot the 74-minute film in 1944 and screened it on April 12, 1945. It is a sequel to 'Momotar no Umiwashi', a 37-minute film released in 1943 by the same director.
In English, the film is sometimes referred to as 'Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors'.
Plot
After completing naval training, a bear cub, a monkey, a pheasant, and a puppy say goodbye to their families. While they are preoccupied, the monkey's younger brother Santa falls into a river while chasing the monkey's cap and is carried towards a waterfall. The dog and monkey coordinate a rescue to save Santa just before he is swept downstream. They succeed and the monkey and his little brother then enjoy the scenery of Mt. Fuji and the surrounding land. While Santa frolics in the field chasing the cap in the wind, the monkey observes the dandelions spreading their seeds and is mesmerized by its beauty. The dandelions floating gently down remind the monkey of paratroopers descending from the sky, transitioning to a time skip. The Japanese forces are seen clearing a forest and constructing an airbase on a Pacific island with the help of the jungle animals who sing as they work. A plane lands at the airstrip and from inside emerges Momotaro, depicted as a General, together with the bear, monkey, dog, and pheasant, who by this point have become high-ranking officials. The animal residents of the island are shown as simple primitives who are star-struck by the glamorous and advanced Japanese animals. The subsequent scenes show the jungle animals being taught the Japanese kana via singing and they continue to sing the AIUEO song while washing and drying clothes and preparing meals. The officers then prepare ammunition and artillery for the warplanes.
Thereafter, a narration of the story of how the island of Celebes was acquired by the Dutch East India Company follows and it is revealed that the Japanese are attempting to invade it. The monkey, dog, and bear cub become parachute jumpers while the pheasant becomes a pilot. The paratroopers ambush a half-track and hastily invade a British fort, causing the unprepared British soldiers to panic and flee. Captain Momotaro, the monkey, and the puppy are then shown negotiating with three clearly terrified, stammering British officials. After a brief argument, the British agree to surrender Celebes and the surrounding islands to Japanese rule. A brief epilogue shows Santa and other children playing paratrooper and jumping onto a chalk outline of continental America. Thus, depicting the United States as the target of their generation.
There are some musical scenes. Of note is , a scene where Japanese soldiers teach local animals how to speak.
Background
The Naval Ministry previously showed Seo 'Fantasia' (1940), the Disney film. Inspired by this, Seo tried to give dreams to children, as well as to instill the hope for peace, just as he did in the film's predecessor, 'Momotaro's Sea Eagles'. At that time, unlike German animation and American animation, Japanese animation was not fully promoted as a tool for propaganda by the Japanese government. Animation was not considered as effective as other mediums by Japanese government officials. As we can see in the first scene of the film, "For Children ( Shkokumin ni tsugu)", the film was designed for children.
For a long time, the film was presumed to have been confiscated and burnt by the American occupation. However, a negative copy of the film was found in Shochiku's Ofuna warehouse in 1983 and was re-released in 1984. A reproduced film was later screened and the VHS package is now available in Japan.
Analysis
War propaganda is prevalent within the film and this glorifies the Japanese forces. The film utilizes anthropomorphism as a persuasive technique to attract public interest in the armed forces by depicting soldiers and other characters as animals. For example, a bear cub, a monkey, a pheasant, and a puppy are depicted as navy soldiers. Anthropomorphism is utilized to demonstrate nationalism and persuade audiences to believe in the honor, integrity, bravery, and courage of the Japanese forces. This technique is specifically employed to indoctrinate children and inspire service and nationalism. The animated film illustrates admiration for the Japanese Naval Ministry and inspires naval career aspiration through the monkey and his little brother Santa, an aspiring navy paratrooper. Santa looks up to his older brother and aspires to be a navy paratrooper like him. At the end of the film, for example, Santa plays paratrooper with the village children. The children jump from the top of a tree onto a chalk outline of the United States. Thus, depicting the United States as the target of their generation.
Furthermore, the film depicts imperial occupied natives as Japanese nationalists who work loyally to serve the east Asia empire. The pacific island natives demonstrate loyalty to the empire by performing manual labor and singing while they build a fortress for the navy. Additionally, the film demonstrates how native people are becoming Japanese by illustrating a naval officer teaching children the Japanese language. Naval officers enter the class while the children are being disruptive, and begin to sing the Japanese alphabet to facilitate the native children's linguistic learning. The natives continue to sing the alphabet as they wash/hang clothes and while they cook for the base. The animation depicts the natives as completely accepting and cooperative with the naval unit.
Island natives of Celebes were depicted as requiring rescue from manipulative, white pirates who fooled the natives and stole their land. 'White pirates' refer to the British forces occupying the territory. British forces were portrayed as weak and foolish when the Japanese naval forces attacked the Dutch East India Company to acquire the island of Celebes. British soldiers are depicted as nervous, scared, and stuttering while they negotiated with Captain Momotaro of the Japanese forces. Intimidated by the Captain and the Japanese insurgence, the British surrendered. Captain Momotaro represented a strong and decisive leader, who intimidated the British into unconditional surrender and ascertained the island.
In conclusion, Momotaro: Sacred Sailors is a fascist war propaganda film that glorifies imperialism and the Japanese Naval Ministry.
Legacy
'Momotaro: Sacred Sailors' is a Japanese World War II legacy. The film historically depicts the glorification of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Furthermore, the film is significant because it is evidence of wartime propaganda and the indoctrination of nationalism into children. Additionally, it is the very first Japanese feature-length animated film, which was ground-breaking for the future of Japanese animation.
is famous for being given a homage in the series by Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka had seen the film in April 1945. He later said that he was moved to tears by the film's hints of dreams and hopes, hidden under the appearance of war propaganda.
The film was selected for screening as part of the Cannes Classics section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. UK based company All the Anime announced in May 2016 that would release the film on Blu-ray and in that same month it was also announced that U.S. distributor Funimation would also be releasing the film on Blu-ray and DVD alongside 'Spider and Tulip' on a single disc.
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