“The Children of Japan”: American educational film from the eve of WW2

By Chris MaGee

I was both thrilled and confused when I found this posted at one of my favorite websites, JapanProbe.com. It’s an American educational film titled “The Children of Japan” that was put out by the folks from Encyclopedia Brittanica back in 1941. Yes, you heard that right: 1941. That’s what had me confused. We can safely assume that this one didn’t get a whole lot of exposure in U.S. classrooms because come the attacks on Pearl Harbour on December 7th of that same year the friendly smiling Yamada family that are featured in the film would have been replaced by the “great yellow threat” of American war propaganda. Watching this film in the context of the insanity and horror that both nations unleashed in the ensuing years makes you wonder what might have happened to little Taro and Yukiko. Ah well, this is still a fascinating bit of history.