| Our Job in Japan | |
|---|---|
Release date |
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Running time | 17 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Our Job in Japan was a United States military training film made in 1945, shortly afterWorld War II. It is the companion to the more famousYour Job In Germany. The film was aimed at American troops about to go toJapan to participate in the1945–1952 Allied occupation, and presents the problem of turning the militarist state into a peaceful democracy. The film focused on the Japanese military officials who had used the traditional religion ofShinto, as well as theeducational system, to take over power, control the populace, and wage aggressive war.
No personal credits are given by the titles forOur Job in Japan. Theodor S. Geisel, better known by his pen nameDr. Seuss, wrote the film, andElmo Williams edited it. Both men were working as part of a military film production unit headed byFrank Capra.[1][2]
At the time, the film was considered sympathetic to the Japanese, and its distribution was apparently suppressed byDouglas MacArthur in his capacity as the overall commander of the Allied forces occupying Japan. A detailed discussion of the film has been given byJohn W. Dower in his book,Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II.[3]
Our Job in Japan was the basis for the longer, commercially released filmDesign for Death (1947).
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