"100 Views of Great Tokyo in the Shōwa Era" by Koizumi Kishio / kk004_1929_w104_tanks
|
The starkly modern feel of this print may have prompted Koizumi to note in his portfolio that the work was
reputed to have "leftist-like styling." Yet the colossal oil storage tanks dwarf the workers in the foreground,
bolstering another possible interpretation—that Japan's expanding military objectives, especially in Manchuria,
necessitated the buildup of military equipment and raw materials. Because Japan was not itself
an oil producer, the oil was needed to fuel military vehicles.
Senju Town with Storage Tanks (#4), ca. June 1929
The Wolfsonian–FIU, Miami Beach, FL, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2009 Visualizing Cultures Creative Commons License
 |
