Old Man Carrying a Flag Is Leading a Group of Male Citizens in a Procession at Night
The Russo-Japanese War (1904–5) was documented in various forms of media, such as woodblock prints, photographs, and illustrations. The victories of the Japanese military in the early stages of the war inspired propaganda prints by Japanese artists. Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915) contributed this farcical single-sheet print to the series, Nihon banzai hyakusen hyakushō (Long live Japan: 100 victories, 100 laughs). Kiyochika, known for producing woodblock prints using Western painting methods, had been under the brief tutelage of Charles Wirgman (1832–91), an English cartoonist for the Illustrated London News. Kiyochika also became a full-time political cartoonist for a Japanese magazine in 1882–93. The satirical writer Honekawa Dojin (pseudonym of Nishimori Takeki, 1862–1913) supplied each illustration with an accompanying humorous description. The series mocked the Russians for their perceived military weakness, conceit, and cowardice. This print claims that the Russian citizens hold a lantern procession after their successive losses in battle, an event reserved for victories in Japan. White flags of surrender are raised while songs accepting the Russians’ own weakness are sung. Asked why the Russian government is turning a blind eye to this, a citizen answers that they have lost to the strong force of the Japanese people.