Original Item. Only One Available. This is an interesting collection of five American WWII-era home-front propaganda pinback buttons, featuring patriotic slogans, anti-Japanese sentiment, and wartime imagery associated with the United States' conflict against Imperial Japan. Each button measures approximately 3 cm [1.18 inches] in diameter and features a printed face with a metal backing and pin attachment. The assortment includes several boldly lettered slogans, together with a particularly striking illustrated button depicting a caricature of a Japanese soldier.

The five buttons bear the following period slogans and designs:

• "WE'LL MEET IN TOKYO" – Red lettering against a white background with a dark blue border, expressing American determination to carry the war to Japan.
• "SMACK THE JAPS!" – Black lettering against a yellow background, using the derogatory wartime abbreviation for Japanese people.
• "BUY BONDS AND BYE BYE JAPS" – White lettering against a reddish-brown background, with decorative stars and a slogan encouraging Americans to purchase war bonds.
• "LET'S MURDER THE SON OF THE SUN" – White lettering against a blue background, employing a hostile play on Japan's association with the rising sun.
• "JAP HUNTING LICENSE" – An illustrated button depicting a racially stereotyped Japanese soldier wearing military headgear, framed within a circular crosshair design, with red lettering around the border.

The group remains in fair to good overall condition, exhibiting age-related toning, surface wear, staining, and oxidation to the metal backings. The illustrated "JAP HUNTING LICENSE" button displays particularly noticeable brown spotting and surface deterioration, although its central design and lettering remain identifiable. The other buttons retain their principal colors and legible slogans. The reverse pin assemblies are present, with varying degrees of oxidation.

Historical Context

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States entered WWII amid a surge of patriotism, public anger, and determination to defeat Imperial Japan. The attack, which killed more than 2,400 Americans, profoundly affected public opinion and helped shape the language and imagery of American wartime propaganda. As the country mobilized for war, patriotic slogans and anti-Japanese messages became increasingly prominent in newspapers, posters, advertisements, and everyday civilian objects.

Small pinback buttons became a popular way for Americans to express their support for the war effort. Inexpensive and easily distributed, these accessories were worn on clothing and displayed in public, often featuring memorable slogans, humor, or bold illustrations. Many encouraged national unity, military victory, and participation in wartime programs, while others reflected the anger and hostility directed toward the enemy. The five buttons in this collection represent this particular aspect of American home-front culture, combining patriotic appeals with the aggressive rhetoric characteristic of the Pacific War.

One of the most important themes in American wartime propaganda was the responsibility of civilians to contribute to the war effort. The government organized extensive War Loan campaigns, encouraging Americans to purchase war bonds to help finance military operations, equipment, and supplies. These campaigns relied heavily on patriotic appeals, emphasizing that civilians could contribute to victory through their financial decisions. The slogan "BUY BONDS AND BYE BYE JAPS" reflects this connection between financial participation and the desire for military success, expressing the message through a simple rhyme intended to be memorable and persuasive.

Other slogans emphasized the determination to carry the war directly to Japan. "WE'LL MEET IN TOKYO" captures the confidence and resolve that became central themes of American wartime messaging, particularly as Allied forces advanced across the Pacific. Following the difficult opening months of the conflict, American forces gradually regained the initiative through major campaigns in the Solomon Islands, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, the Marianas, and the Philippines. By 1945, the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa had brought American forces closer to the Japanese home islands, while sustained aerial bombardment increasingly targeted Japan's industrial and urban centers. The war ultimately ended with Japan's announcement of surrender on August 15, 1945, followed by the formal signing aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2.

The remaining buttons reflect a more aggressive side of American wartime propaganda. Expressions such as "SMACK THE JAPS!" and "LET'S MURDER THE SON OF THE SUN" employed deliberately provocative language, appealing to the anger and desire for retaliation that followed Pearl Harbor. The latter slogan also draws upon Japan's longstanding association with the sun, a prominent symbol of Japanese national identity. Such expressions were intended to provoke strong emotional responses and reinforce public support for the continuing war.

The illustrated "JAP HUNTING LICENSE" button is especially representative of the racial caricatures that appeared in American anti-Japanese propaganda during the conflict. Exaggerated facial features, stereotyped military imagery, and language portraying Japanese people as targets of violence were widely employed in wartime popular culture. These portrayals reflected both the intensity of the fighting in the Pacific and racial prejudices that had existed in American society well before the outbreak of WWII. The distinction between Japan's military forces and people of Japanese ancestry was frequently blurred in public rhetoric, contributing to an atmosphere of suspicion and discrimination.

These attitudes had serious consequences on the American home front. Following Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of them American citizens, their children, or long-established residents, were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in government camps. At the same time, Japanese American servicemen distinguished themselves in the United States armed forces, particularly through the service of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Their experiences illustrate the contradictions between the country's stated wartime ideals and the racial discrimination that persisted within American society.