Content note: Ethnic slur in title and text; caricatured Japanese soldier and workers with exaggerated features. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Your Enemy the Jap (Official Navy Poster)
A hand-lettered information sheet shows a grinning, bayonet-wielding soldier with a star on his helmet beside outlines of aircraft and warships, with boxed figures: planes produced 'faster than we can destroy them', 4,000,000 men under arms, 5 million workers on 12 to 16 hour days and '400,000,000 enslaved people'. Statistics appear without sources, dates or comparison with U.S. output.
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Navy, Industrial Incentive Division; artist signed Hotchkiss, USNR
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Event
- World War II
- Techniques
- Card stackingName-calling
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA 516253, local id 44-PA-2526), Records of the Office of Government Reports, Record Group 44, series 'World War II Posters', retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. Government work; NARA use restriction 'Unrestricted')
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Text on the object
YOUR ENEMY the JAP Despite our air victories, the Japs are producing planes FASTER than we can destroy them. The QUALITY of their planes is IMPROVING! Japan still has a powerful fleet — 10 to 13 BIG BATTLESHIPS, 10 OR MORE LARGE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, many small carriers, hundreds of other warships. The Jap is a fanatical fighter. His motto is "WIN OR DIE." There are 4,000,000 of him under arms, with 2,000,000 more ready if needed. WE HAVE NOT YET MET THE MAIN BODY OF THIS HUGE TOUGH ARMY! Before the war the average Jap ate a pound of rice a day. Today his ration gives him only 11 [fraction illegible]/8 ounces. Nevertheless Jap workers are producing more than ever before. Japan's war production strength is OUT OF ALL PROPORTION to her industrial strength! 5 MILLION JAP WORKERS ARE TOTALLY MOBILIZED FOR WAR. MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN WORK FROM 12 TO 16 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. IN ADDITION TO THESE, JAPAN CONTROLS 400,000,000 ENSLAVED PEOPLE. OFFICIAL NAVY POSTER, INDUSTRIAL INCENTIVE DIVISION, JAP-80M
Hand lettering is partly stylised; the ration figure and the battleship count ('13' with a decorative numeral) are the least certain readings. Signature 'Hotchkiss USNR' and the GPO imprint (1944-O-615176) are at the foot.
