Japan’s War: Color footage from WWII showing the Japanese side
First, we owe a huge thanks to James at Japan Probe for finding this video at You Tube. Second, we recommend that if you enjoy it, please buy a copy; the DVD of Japan’s War is available from the Discovery Channel for a mere $9.95.
According to the Discovery Channel:
Until recently it was believed that no color film of Japan existed prior to 1945. Specialist research unearthed remarkable color record dating back to the 1930s including imperial Japanese troops in Manchuria, meetings with Adolf Hitler, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and more…
Using never-before-seen footage, this documentary tells a previously untold story recounting the history of the Second World War from a Japanese perspective.
Combining original color film with letters and diaries written by Japanese people, this is the inside story of a nation at war from the diverse perspectives of those who lived through it – the leaders and the ordinary people, the oppressors and the victims, the guilty and the innocent.
Here is Part 1, a ten minute excerpt of the beginning of the program:
Part 2, a second ten minute excerpt:
The full DVD runs 2 hours and 31 minutes and according to the Discovery Channel’s product information page, includes these features:
- The Last Bomb – a 35 minute U.S. government film including reconstruction and original color footage
- Exclusive color footage showing the Battle for Iwo Jima, the devastation caused to Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the dropping of atomic bombs and scenes from post-war Japan
- Restoring Film – a segment illustrating the complex process to restore film to its original quality
- The Power of Sound – a piece on composer Chris Elliot with extracts revealing the importance of sound and a sample of five original Chris Elliot tracks
- Interactive maps
- The diary of a Japanese solider
- Photo gallery
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