Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy : The Silent Victims of World War II

The Japanese government disposed of “dangerous animals” (not only carnivores but also herbivores, such as elephants) in zoos and circuses during World War II, including those in Japan’s three “colonies”--Korea, Taiwan, and Manchukuo, Japan’s puppet state in current Northeast China. Strangely, the “disposal order” was issued in August 1943, more than 15 months before U.S. B-29 air raids on Japan began. While some European zoos also destroyed their animals, none of the authorities in Europe enforced the disposal of zoo animals as systematically as the Japanese Home Ministry. No country conducted as nationwide and systematic a disposal of captive animals as Japan. This policy was an integral part of the Japanese government propaganda to mobilize the whole civilian population into total war, rather than for the ostensible purpose of public safety. "This is a very important policy area that has not been addressed in the English-speaking world. The material in the opening chapter on the plight of zoo animals in Haiti, Baghdad, and Kabul puts the experiences of WWII zoos in Asia and Europe in a new light and makes one wonder whether humans ever learn from past mistakes. The author has done a wonderful job of researching and documenting this subject. I have absolutely no doubt that this is a definitive study in this area. It is simply one of the best researched and documented books I have ever seen and is truly an original piece of policy research." - Ronald Hrebenar, Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of Asian Studies, University of Utah "This is an excellent account of a little known and sad aspect of zoo history. With a review of zoo history in Japan and the fate of zoo animals throughout the world during WW II, it puts the fate of Japanese zoos in context with unsettling detail. As a result of difficult and important research, the author has uncovered and presented the effects of war on yet another cultural institution, along with the lack of respect shown for these zoo collections and what the collections represented. It is a significant contribution to the field of zoo and aquarium history." - Vernon Kisling, Chair, Marston Science Library, University of Florida, and editor, Zoo and Aquarium History This Book Examines Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy During World War Ii, Analyzing The Reasons Why The Home Ministry Destroyed More Than 300 Showpiece Animals Throughout Japan Well Before U.s. Air Strikes Were Anticipated, With International Comparisons Of The Effects Of The War On Zoos In Europe, The United States, And The Middle East. Coverpage; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; List Of Photographs And Tables; Acknowledgments; Notes On The Text; List Of Abbreviations; Map; Photographs; 1 Introduction: Disposal Of Dangerous Animals Asjapan's National Policy; 2 Historical Background: Creation Ofmodern Zoos And Militarism In Japan; 3 Zoos In Eastern Japan And World War Ii; 4 Zoos In Western Japan And World War Ii; 5 Zoos In Central Japan And World War Ii; 6 Zoos In Southwestern Japan Andjapan's Exterior Territories And World War Ii; 7 Zoos In Europe And World War Ii; 8 Zoos In The United States And World War Ii. 9 Zoos In Japan In The Early Postwar Years10 Conclusion: Assessment Of Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy; Appendix; Notes; Bibliography; Index. Mayumi Itoh. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [229]-236) And Index. The Japanese government disposed of "dangerous animals" (not only carnivores but also herbivores, such as elephants) in zoos and circuses during World War II, including those in Japan's three "colonies" - Korea, Taiwan, and Manchukuo, Japan's puppet state in current Northeast China. Strangely, the "disposal order" was issued in August 1943, more than 15 months before U.S. B-29 air raids on Japan began. While some European zoos also destroyed their animals, none of the authorities in Europe enforced the disposal of zoo animals as systematically as the Japanese Home Ministry. No country conducted as nationwide and systematic a disposal of captive animals as Japan. This policy was an integral part of the Japanese government propaganda to mobilize the whole civilian population into total war, rather than for the ostensible purpose of public safety Coverpage 1 TItle 3 Copyright 4 Dedication 5 Contents 7 List of Photographs and Tables 9 Acknowledgments 11 Notes on the Text 13 List of Abbreviations 15 Map 16 Photographs 17 1 Introduction: “Disposal of Dangerous Animals” asJapan’s National Policy 21 2 Historical Background: Creation ofModern Zoos and Militarism in Japan 35 3 Zoos in Eastern Japan and World War II 57 4 Zoos in Western Japan and World War II 77 5 Zoos in Central Japan and World War II 97 6 Zoos in Southwestern Japan andJapan’s Exterior Territories and World War II 121 7 Zoos in Europe and World War II 141 8 Zoos in the United States and World War II 165 9 Zoos in Japan in the Early Postwar Years 181 10 Conclusion: Assessment of Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy 205 Appendix 225 Notes 227 Bibliography 249 Index 257