“Mirror of Army and Navy Heroes”


By Kobayashi Kiyochika, February 1895


This single-block portrait gallery suggests the striking variety of deeds or personality traits that might lead to veneration by the populace back home.

Kiyochika’s “heroes” range from an admiral reading a newspaper to sailors helping a blinded comrade touch a cannon that has helped bring victory, and from an infantryman showing compassion to a Chinese youngster to officers and enlisted men cleaving heads and bayonetting the foe.












Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Collection at
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Throwing Off Asia, by John W. Dower

 On viewing images of a potentially disturbing
nature: click here.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
© 2008 Visualizing Cultures
"Majors Imada and Yasumitsu" [2000.166] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Majors Imada and Yasumitsu"
[2000.166]
"Sergeant Nagai Taizō" [2000.169] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Sailor Tanaka Ichitarō"
 [2000.168]
"Artillery Captain Ikeda" [2000.170] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Sergeant Nagai Taizō"
[2000.169]
"Artillery Captain Ikeda"
[2000.170]
"Sailor Tanaka Ichitarō" [2000.168] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston"Admiral Kabayama" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.171] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Bosto
"Admiral Kabayama"
 [2000.171]
"Sailor Third Class of the Katsuragi Nishikawa Hatsutarō" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.172] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Sailor Third Class of the Katsuragi Nishikawa Hatsutarō"
 [2000.172]
"Lieutenant Mano Ganjirō of the Ninth Torpedo" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.173] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Lieutenant Mano Ganjirō of the Ninth Torpedo"
 [2000.173]
"Captain Awata" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.174] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Captain Awata"
 [2000.174]
"Private First Class of the Third Regiment Funayama Ichinosuke" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.175] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Private First Class of the Third Regiment Funayama Ichinosuke"
 [2000.175]
"Commander of the Second Army, Army General Ōyama Iwao" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.176] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Commander of the Second Army, Army General Ōyama Iwao"
 [2000.176]
"Captain Higuchi, Section Commander of the Sixth Division" by Kobayashi Kiyochika [2000.167] Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
"Captain Higuchi, Section Commander of the Sixth Division"
 [2000.167]
MIT Visualizing Cultures