WORK IN PROGRESS (DRAFT 6-12-25)
click on a volume for details
Ashura-chō, dai-ni-kan 阿修羅帖 弐 [第二卷] (The Ashura notebook, volume 2)
Ashura-chō, dai-san-kan 阿修羅帖 三 [第三卷] (The Ashura notebook, volume 3)
Ashura-chō, dai-yon-kan 阿修羅帖 四 [第四卷] (The Ashura notebook, volume 4)
Ashura-chō, dai-go-kan 阿修羅帖 五 [第五卷] (The Ashura notebook, volume 5)
Ashura-chō (The Ashura Notebook, or The Warring Gods Notebook), a five-volume illustrated work published between 1920 and 1921, is a visual and literary satire of World War I and its geopolitical aftermath. Conceived by the renowned architect and architectural historian Itō Chūta, realized through the initiative of Arashida Eisuke, a fellow native of Yonezawa and proprietor of the Kokusuisha publishing house, and edited by the distinguished journalist and essayist Sugimura Kōtarō (pen name: Sugimura Sōjinkan), this remarkable collaboration combines 500 multicolor woodblock caricatures with pithy, ironic commentary from prominent literary, political, and journalistic figures of the Taishō period.
When war broke out in August 1914, Itō was a professor at Tokyo Imperial University’s College of Engineering. Deeply affected by the rapidly unfolding global crisis, he began to express his reactions through spontaneous sketches. In the preface to Volume 1 of Ashura-chō, he recalls:
By some strange twist of fate, I found myself living through the greatest war the world had ever seen. The emotions it stirred in me were impossible to hold back. So, from time to time, I poured my thoughts into rough sketches — five hundred satirical cartoons, drawn with a clumsy hand, just to give myself a bit of emotional relief. These drawings were never meant for anyone else — they were my private creation, like a daughter I kept hidden away.
These illustrations, what have aptly been described as “deeply personal manga”[1], would likely have remained unseen by the public had they not drawn the attention of Arashida Eisuke, who persuaded Itō to publish them.
The resulting illustrations portray nations as grotesque, clownish, or monstrous figures, often half-naked or draped in loincloths, embroiled in chaotic scenes that satirize key events of the period. These range from the assassination at Sarajevo, which triggered long-standing tensions across Europe, to Japan’s imperial ambitions in China, the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, and the Paris Peace Conference, which redefined borders and alliances in the postwar world.
The title Ashura-chō references the ashura, belligerent deities of Indian mythology known for their endless battles, symbolizing the global strife that defined the era. Sugimura, an editor with deep knowledge of international affairs, selected and paired concise, often cutting commentary with each illustration. Contributors included figures such as Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Yosano Akiko, and Kikuchi Kan, alongside politicians, military leaders, and Sugimura himself, who authored more than [xxx] of the texts.
As shown below, the project originated from Ito’s rough sketches, which Itō created for his own use. For publication, Arashida employed his proprietary Kokusui Printing Method (國粹印刷法), combining carved multi-color woodblocks with mechanical presses to achieve a vivid, mass-producible format.[2] The commentary texts were reproduced using a combination of letterpress and woodcut calligraphy, and each volume was cloth-bound and enclosed in a decorative case.
支露墮落競爭 Degeneracy Competition Between China and Russia.
Sketch appearing in a notebook dated 1917 (Taishō 6). Ito's hand-drawn postcard for personal use and the published postcard, both dated August 2, 1917 (Taishō 6).
image source for sketch and personal use postcard Architectural Institute of Japan http://news-sv.aij.or.jp/da2/yachou/pdf/48.pdf [3]
Through its richly satirical lens, Ashura-chō offers both a scathing critique and a darkly humorous education in early 20th-century geopolitics. It represents a remarkable fusion of visual art and political commentary, deeply rooted in the liberal spirit of the Taishō era, an intellectual and creative freedom that would likely have been impossible in the more repressive decades that followed.
[1] The term "deeply personal manga" is my translation of the term "極私的な「漫画」" appearing in the article "The Eccentric Architect: Itō Chūta’s Grotesque Satirical Drawings" on the website of Fragile Books https://www.fragile-books.com/products/%E9%98%BF%E4%BF%AE%E7%BE%85%E5%B8%96
[2] "Thematic Exhibition: 'The Bookshelf of Sojinkan' — Explanation" from the Former Murakawa Villa Citizen Guide Newsletter, March 20, 2014, issued by the Former Murakawa Villa Citizen Guide Office, Abiko City Board of Education https://www.city.abiko.chiba.jp/event/shiseki_bunkazai/kyu_murakawa/murakawabacknumber.files/h26_all.pdf
[3] Among the Itō Chūta archives housed in The Architectural Institute of Japan are all of his 3,7171 hand drawn and colored satirical postcards and a number of his conceptual sketches in his personal notebooks. To view the postcards go to http://news-sv.aij.or.jp/da2/hagakie/gallery_3_hagakie2.htm
Compiled from the following sources: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art, Yutaka Tazawa, Kodansha International, Ltd. in collaboration with the International Society for Educational Information, Inc., 1981, p. 505-506; Self-Irony in Context: Ito Chūta’s Caricature Works and the Beginning of Japanese Fūshi-Manga (Satirical Manga) by Miyuki Aoki Girardelli, Istanbul Technical University (Conference Paper given at L’image railleuse. La satire dans l'art et la culture visuelle, du 18e siècle jusqu'à nos jours, 25-27 June 2015, at Institute national d'histoire de l'art, Paris.); website of the publisher Yamani Shobou https://www.yumani.co.jp/np/isbn/9784843340660 [accessed 5-3-25]
Itō Chūta was a pioneering Japanese architect, educator, and historian who played a foundational role in the development of modern Japanese architectural studies. Born in 1867 in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Itō graduated from the Department of Architecture at Tokyo Imperial University and went on to become Japan’s first architectural historian. His 1893 treatise on the Hōryūji Temple marked a turning point in Japanese architectural scholarship, laying the groundwork for academic inquiry into traditional Japanese architecture. The same year, he contributed to the design of Kyoto’s Heian Shrine, blending historical reverence with practical innovation.
Itō was also a linguistic innovator, coining the modern Japanese term kenchiku to translate “architecture.” A fervent advocate for elevating the discipline, he played a key role in transforming the Society of Architectural Engineers into what is now the Architectural Institute of Japan. His theory of “architectural evolution,” introduced in 1909, emphasized architecture as a dynamic, ever-developing cultural form.
Between 1902 and 1905, Itō undertook a landmark global research journey through Asia, Europe, and the United States, deepening his understanding of world architecture. Upon his return, he was appointed professor at Tokyo Imperial University and later taught at Waseda University. His expertise spanned both Japanese and Western traditions, culminating in iconic projects such as Tokyo’s Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple (completed in 1934), shown below.
On a more whimsical note, throughout his life, Itō had a fascination with yōkai, mythical beings, which found play in his architectural design and in his sketches. His five-volume Ashura-chō, comprising 500 satirical drawings featuring various demons (ashura, or asura, being the name of the lowest ranks of Buddhist deities and semi gods condemned to constant strife), in postcard format, offered humorous and critical commentary on Japanese and global society in the World War I era. These works, alongside thousands of caricatures in his personal notebooks, place him among the early creators of fūshi manga (satirical manga).
Awarded the Order of Culture in 1943, Itō Chūta’s legacy endures as a visionary who bridged past and present, East and West, through both architecture and art.
Compiled from articles on the website of Kotobank web encyclopedia https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%9D%89%E6%9D%91%E6%A5%9A%E4%BA%BA%E5%86%A0-18549
Sugimura Kōtarō, better known by his pen name Sugimura Sojinkan, was a pioneering Japanese journalist, essayist, and reformer of modern journalism. Born in Wakayama, he studied at the English Law School (now Chūō University) and later graduated from the Unitarian-affiliated Jiyū Shin Gakkō. Early in his career, he edited regional newspapers and co-founded the Shin Bukkyō (New Buddhism) movement. In 1903, he joined the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun, where he helped modernize Japan’s press by introducing investigative departments, article review systems, and innovations such as newspaper reprints and the launch of Asahi Graph. He served as London correspondent in 1907, where his serialized travelogue Great Britain Travelogue gained popularity. A liberal thinker and elegant prose stylist, Sugimura also wrote influential essays, novels, and works on journalism, including Recent Studies in Journalism (1915). Though sympathetic to socialist movements, he remained primarily a reform-minded intellectual. His collected works were published in the Complete Works of Sojinkan (18 volumes). He passed away in 1945.
Note: The following summary is edited and condensed from the article "Warfare 1914-1918 (Japan)" by Jürgen Melzer appearing in the online International Encyclopedia of the First World War, maintained by the Department of History and Cultural Studies at Freie Universität Berlin.
https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/warfare-1914-1918-japan/?format=pdf
Japan participated in World War I as one of the Allied Powers, but its effective involvement was largely limited to the campaign against forces defending Germany’s concession at Qingdao (Tsingtao) in China.
Japan entered World War I following a British request for help against German forces in East Asia, invoking the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance. On August 15, 1914, Japan issued an ultimatum demanding Germany withdraw from Chinese waters and surrender its Jiaozhou Bay concession. When Germany failed to respond, Japan declared war on August 23 and quickly besieged Qingdao, Germany’s base in Shandong Province. Backed by overwhelming naval and ground superiority, and supported by a small British contingent, Japan launched air raids, naval blockades, and artillery bombardments. The Germans surrendered on November 7, 1914 after a prolonged siege. The conflict showcased new methods of modern warfare, including trench battles, aerial bombing, and heavy artillery.
Following victory, Japan issued the Twenty-One Demands to China in 1915, solidifying control over Shandong and sparking Chinese outrage. Japan's wartime contributions gained it international prestige and territorial gains, including the German Pacific islands under League of Nations mandate. However, its expansionist ambitions strained relations with Britain and the U.S. and Japan was forced to return Qingdao at the 1922 Washington Conference, followed by the dissolution of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1923. Though World War I elevated Japan to great power status, it also set the stage for future isolation and militarist conflict in Asia.
