Original Item. Only One Lot Available. This is an interesting collection of five U.S. WWII-era anti-Japanese propaganda pinback buttons, bearing an assortment of patriotic slogans, political caricatures, and messages directed against Imperial Japan. These colorful novelty buttons are representative of the American home front during WWII, when patriotic merchandise and political memorabilia became popular means of expressing public support for the war effort.

The collection consists of five individual buttons, each bearing a different design:

"JAP HUNTING LICENSE" - A large cream-colored button printed in light blue, depicting an armed figure standing over a map of the continental United States, with a small sign reading "KEEP OUT."
"A JAP'S A JAP!" - A large white button with a red circular border and bold red and black lettering, displaying a particularly blunt anti-Japanese slogan.
"BUY BONDS AND BYE BYE JAPS" - A large reddish-brown button with white lettering and decorative stars, encouraging the purchase of U.S. War Bonds.
"DOWN WITH THE RISING SUN" - A smaller white button bearing bold blue-gray lettering, referring to the Rising Sun emblem associated with Imperial Japan.
"WANTED FOR MURDER / DEAD OR ALIVE" - A smaller white button displaying a caricatured Japanese figure surrounded by the wording of a traditional criminal wanted poster.

The buttons remain in good overall condition, with expected age toning, scattered staining, and minor surface wear. The "JAP HUNTING LICENSE" example exhibits more noticeable brown discoloration around its perimeter, while the smaller "WANTED FOR MURDER" button displays scattered spotting and oxidation-related staining near the edges. The original printed designs remain clear and readily legible throughout.

Historical Context

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, brought the United States into WWII and provoked widespread public outrage. As American forces mobilized for war in the Pacific, anti-Japanese propaganda became increasingly prominent in American newspapers, advertising, political cartoons, and commercial merchandise. Public messaging frequently emphasized the need to avenge Pearl Harbor, support American servicemen, and defeat Japan.

Pinback buttons were particularly well suited to this environment. Inexpensive to manufacture and easily worn on civilian clothing, they allowed individuals to display patriotic messages and political opinions in a highly visible manner. Many wartime designs relied on humor, rhyming slogans, and confrontational imagery to communicate their message. Privately produced novelty merchandise formed part of this wider patriotic culture, alongside the extensive government-sponsored propaganda campaigns carried out during the war.

One of the most important aspects of American home-front mobilization was the sale of War Bonds. The U.S. Treasury introduced Series E Defense Savings Bonds on May 1, 1941, as part of the country's expanding defense preparations. Following the declaration of war, these became widely promoted as War Bonds, providing Americans with a means of contributing financially to the enormous costs of military operations.

Throughout WWII, the Treasury organized nationwide bond drives with support from businesses, schools, civic organizations, and prominent entertainers. Patriotic advertisements encouraged citizens to invest their savings in the war effort, frequently connecting the purchase of bonds with the production of weapons and equipment needed by American servicemen. The aggressive language used in some promotional merchandise appealed directly to public hostility toward the Axis powers, presenting financial participation as another means of helping secure victory.

Anti-Japanese propaganda also carried a particularly strong racial dimension. Japanese soldiers and political leaders were frequently depicted through exaggerated physical caricatures, while derogatory language often made little distinction between enemy combatants, Japanese civilians, and Americans of Japanese ancestry. The resulting imagery and rhetoric reflected longstanding anti-Asian prejudice in American society, intensified by wartime fears and resentment following Pearl Harbor.

The expression "A Jap's a Jap" became especially notorious in 1943 through statements made by Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt, commander of the Western Defense Command. During discussions concerning the possible return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast, DeWitt publicly expressed the view that Japanese ancestry itself was sufficient grounds for suspicion, regardless of American citizenship. His statements became widely reported and exposed the racial assumptions influencing wartime military policy.

These attitudes were closely connected with the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing military commanders to designate areas from which civilians could be excluded. Subsequent military orders resulted in the forced removal and incarceration of approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, including tens of thousands of American citizens, principally from the West Coast.

The more aggressive wartime slogans also drew upon established American popular imagery. References to hunting licenses, criminal wanted notices, and the destruction of Japanese national symbols turned the conflict into a series of easily understood visual messages. The Rising Sun, prominently associated with the Imperial Japanese armed forces, became a recognizable representation of the enemy in American wartime propaganda.

As the Pacific War continued, reports of Japanese atrocities, including the Bataan Death March and the mistreatment of Allied prisoners of war, further intensified American anger toward Japan. Such events became important subjects of wartime publicity, reinforcing demands for military victory and punishment of those responsible.

These five buttons preserve a particularly direct form of American wartime political expression, combining civilian fundraising appeals, patriotic messaging, and the openly hostile language that circulated on the home front during WWII.