Aviation

1937 · 219986 — 東京. Tokyo.: 大阪毎日新聞社. Ōsaka Mainichi Shinbunsha. 1937 -1939. Porcelain ash tray illustrated with a colour map 12 x 13cm with accompanying folded newpaper sheet map black and white photographic illustrations 4pp. 54.5 x 39cm A striking pair of items reflecting Japan’s aviation ambitions on the eve of the Pacific War. <br> <br>By the late 1930s Japan had developed advanced aircraft capable of long-distance flight achievements that were widely celebrated and closely followed by the press. The globe-shaped ashtray commemorates the highly publicised 1937 Tokyo–London flight of the modified military aircraft Kamikaze sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The flight captured the public imagination and was reported as a major national success. <br> <br>The ashtray is attractively decorated with an image of the aircraft together with its route from Japan to Britain and the precisely recorded flying time of 94 hours 17 minutes and 56 seconds. <br> <br>In response the rival Mainichi Shimbun sponsored an even more ambitious venture: a round-the-world flight by the aircraft Nippon. The accompanying four-page newspaper supplement promotes the undertaking with photographic illustrations including a dramatic front-page image of the aircraft flying over Mount Fuji and a detailed projected route map. Period advertisements featuring Western military aircraft add further visual and historical interest. <br> <br>Thenewspaper conveys a clear sense of competitive ambition expressing the hope that this flight would surpass earlier records. With a crew of seven Nippon completed its journey in approximately two months. However the outbreak of World War II in Europe shortly after departure forced the cancellation of planned stops in London and Paris although Berlin and Rome were successfully visited. <br> <br>Together these pieces offer a vivid insight into the intersection of aviation media rivalry and national aspiration in late 1930s Japan. . [大阪毎日新聞社]. [Ōsaka Mainichi Shinbunsha]. unknown