Exhibition of war trophy munitions and weapons, Marunouchi, Tokyo, c. 1906. Beginning with spoils from the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), the primary display location for war booty was the Yūshūkan (“Museum of Armaments”) at Kudanzaka. Spoils were in such abundance from the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) that temporary displays of captured arms, artillery and munitions (e.g., a fence made of swords) were erected near Tokyo Central Station as both morale-boosting trophies and symbols of Japan’s rising stature on the world stage.
See also:
Imperial Japanese Navy Cruiser “Soya”, c. 1910.
Yūshūkann [“Museum of Armaments”], Kudan, Tokyo, c. 1910.
War prize German submarines, Yokosuka, c. 1920.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 marked a major turning point in East Asian power dynamics, with Japan emerging victorious over imperial Russia. This was the first significant military defeat of a European power by an Asian nation in the modern era. As would any victorious army at the turn of the century, Japan seized various war trophies that showcased its triumph.
The most significant war trophies were captured Russian warships. The Imperial Japanese Navy captured several Russian vessels during the war, including the battleships Peresvet, Poltava, and Pobeda.
Flags, standards, and military banners were also highly prized and very portable symbols of conquest. Such items were then often displayed in Japanese military museums, serving as both morale-boosting trophies and symbols of Japan’s rising stature on the world stage.
German submarine war prize, c. 1920, one of several German Unterseeboot claimed by Japan as a “war reparation” following World War I.
Japan seized large quantities of weaponry, including rifles, artillery, and other military hardware, from surrendered Russian forces and fortresses. This included field guns, machine guns, and large amounts of ammunition. The captured weapons were either used by the Japanese military or displayed as symbols of victory.
“War trophies were more than just spoils; they represented Japan’s newfound status and the shifting balance of power in Asia. The Japanese public widely celebrated these items, with some exhibited in museums and victory parades, showcasing Japan’s ability to defeat a Western power and solidifying kokutai [‘national spirit’].
