When?
Meiji, the Emperor of Japan, peers over the top of a large globe from the east toward Europe where the rulers of several nations stand with Nicholas II, the wounded and crippled emperor of Russia. There is concern among the European leaders about where Japan will turn after defeating Russia.
Comments and Context
“When?” The answer is 1941, as everybody knows. Or 1931, when the Japanese invaded Manchuria and established the puppet Manchukuo government. Or 1937, when the “Second” Sino-Japanese War was begun by the Japanese. There was the troublesome Japanese “sphere of influence” ongoing claim over Korea. And, in the 1930s, its military moves into Southeast Asia, then called Indo-China, over which it claimed hegemonic rights.
