Yushukan War Memorial Museum: Japan's road to war in WW2

The Yushukan War Memorial Museum, located in Tokyo on the grounds of the Yasukuni Shrine, recounts events leading to Japan's entry into World War Two.

The following story boards were seen during a visit there in November 2015.

The narrative indicates that sanctions against Japan deprived its economy of raw materials, with the oil embargo being the final trigger. The story boards also suggest secret collusion between the United States and Great Britain during the 1941 Atlantic Conference.

Whether or not one agrees with the intellectual basis for the casus belli, one should be aware that this is the account of World War Two portrayed to younger Japanese as the Pacific War.

Would recommend the book by Edward S. Miller, War Plan Orange, for another account of the road to war.

As the old saying goes, "History is written by the victors".

Large map of Southeast Asia dedicated to showing the raw materials needed by the Empire of Japan prior to the outbreak of war in the Pacific.

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