Feeding hope, starving resistance: the rhetoric of food in the American psychological warfare against Japan

This study examines the United States’ psychological warfare campaign against Japan during Operation Starvation (March-August 1945), focusing on leaflets that warned of imminent starvation resulting from the mining blockade and encouraged surrender for food supplies. From early in the war, the Japanese government promoted propaganda urging a frugal lifestyle to support the war effort. Both American and Japanese messages presented citizens with a choice: endure hunger to support the war or surrender for food. While Japanese food propaganda has been studied, American efforts have received less attention. This study highlights the crucial role of food rhetoric in depicting America favorably and the Japanese government negatively.