Itō Chūta's Opening Comments

The Sketches in Volume 1

Notes:

1. Itō designates the nations represented by his figures using the following characters within a circle:

墺 → Austria (from 墺太利)

白 → Belgium (from 白耳義)

勃 → Bulgaria (from 勃牙利) 

支 → China (from 支那) 

英 → England (from 英吉利); also used for the British Empire

佛 also 仏 → France (from 佛蘭西 and 仏蘭西)

独 also 獨 → Germany (from 独逸)

希 → Greece (from 希臘)

伊 → Italy (from 伊太利亜)

日 → Japan (from 日本)

葡  → Portugal (from 葡萄牙)

羅 → Romania (from 羅馬尼亞 )

露 → Russia (from 露西亜)

塞 → Serbia (from 塞爾維)

土 → Turkey (from 土耳古 )

米  → United States of America (from 亜米利加)

覀 (西) - possible reference to neutral Spain 西班牙 

2. Itō's seal reading 忠太 (Chūta) within a circle appears on each sketch.

3. For transcriptions in Japanese of those commentaries translated below go to Ashurachō Vol. 1 commentaries  

click on an image to enlarge

*Translation of Hirata Tōsuke's commentary and notes on sketch 1: Outbreak of War Between Austria and Serbia

Dragon and tiger fight fiercely [A fierce clash between two powerful forces]

Which is the male and female fruit? [Which side will win?]

— Seigai

Itō's sketch dated July 28, 1914 (the official beginning of WWI), pictures Serbia (塞) fighting Austria (墺) and Russia (露) and France (仏) squaring off against Germany (獨), while England (英) and Italy (伊) stand by in the background.

Entry of the Major Powers into World War I

Austria (Austria-Hungary): July 28, 1914 – declared war on Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (the Austrian emperor's nephew and heir) by Serbian nationalists, marking the official outbreak of World War I.

Serbia: July 28, 1914 – engaged in defensive combat following Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war. Serbia did not issue a formal declaration of war. 

Russia: July 30, 1914 - initiated general mobilization in response to Austria-Hungary’s actions against Serbia. Launched its first major offensive by invading East Prussia on August 17, 1914. No formal declaration of war was issued. 

Germany: August 1, 1914 – declared war on Russia; August 3, 1914 – declared war on France; August 4, 1914 – invaded Belgium, triggering British entry.

France: August 3, 1914 – entered the war following Germany’s declaration. France had already mobilized in support of Russia but did not issue a formal declaration of war. 

England (United Kingdom): August 4, 1914 – declared war on Germany in response to the invasion of neutral Belgium. 

Italy: May 23, 1915 – declared war on Austria-Hungary, joining the Allies after originally remaining neutral despite being part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

**Translation of Shiga Shigetaka's commentary on sketch 2: All of Europe Becomes a Scene of Ashura-like Carnage

An aura of demonic fury descends upon humanity.

— Shiga Shigetaka

***Notes on sketch 3: Imperial Japan Sends Ultimatum to Germany

Japan’s ultimatum to Germany on August 16, 1914, which Germany rejected, contained two key demands: The withdrawal of German naval vessels from Japanese and Chinese waters and the unconditional transfer of the leased territory of Kiaochou (now Qingdao) to Japan by September 15, 1914, with the understanding that it would eventually be returned to China. In response to Germany's rejection of the ultimatum, Japan would declare war on Germany on August 23, 1914.

****Notes on sketch 4: Fall of Liège

On August 4, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium as part of its plan to quickly reach Paris. While the Belgian army was largely unprepared, the fortified cities of Liège and Namur offered resistance, with Liège holding out until August 16 and Namur until August 25. The defense of Liège earned Belgium international admiration as “Brave Little Belgium.” Despite their courage, Belgium’s unprepared military could not stop the German advance.

[source: edited and condensed from the website of the International Encyclopedia of the First World War https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/warfare-1914-1918-belgium/#toc_a_disastrous_start_in_1914]

*Notes on sketch 5: Severance of Diplomatic Relations Between Japan and Germany

On August 23, 1914, in response to Germany's rejection of the August 16 ultimatum, Japan declared war on Germany.

**Translation of Hibino Hiroshi's commentary on sketch 8: Russia and Germany Race for Advantage

Will it be Russia or Germany? — don't lose!
Russia, run swiftly!
Raise your battle cry
In the streets of Berlin.

— Hibino Hiroshi

*Translation of Okuda Takematsu's commentary on sketch 10: German Military Offensive

In the present World War, there has been no battle more critical to the entire course of the war than the Battle of the Marne. Had the French forces been defeated there, Germany would likely have proceeded according to its long-standing strategic plan: first crushing France, and then slowly turning its grand army eastward to destroy Russia. In that case, the war might have ended within three to five months in complete German victory.

However, Germany’s attempt to break through the center of the French front—a move in which it had placed absolute confidence—was met with fierce resistance in a three-day-and-night battle. The offensive was ultimately repelled. In short, Germany's strategy of capitalizing on the enemy’s unpreparedness to deliver a lightning strike and annihilate the French field army ended in total failure at this point.

From that moment on, the war shifted into a war of attrition, and for over four years since, the world has been engulfed in the clouds of war. The current global situation has arisen directly as a consequence. The true turning point in the fortunes of both armies lay in this very battle.

October 5, Taishō 8 (1919)
Okuda Takematsu

*Translation of Ubukata Toshirō's commentary on sketch 14. Extraordinary Session of the Japanese Imperial Diet

The Frog and the Tobacco

A frog came to a picture shop and looked at a Bonchi-brand tobacco advertisement.
It saw that pictures of frogs like itself were drawn on it, with a note beside them referring to a member of the Diet from Hibiya.
From that day on, the frog started putting on the airs of a Diet member.

First, it put on Western clothes.
Then it drove an automobile.
So as not to be outdone by the Hibiya Diet member, it even set up a mistress’s residence.
It gave and received bribes.
It used passes to go on trips.

Up to that point, the frog had been happy.
But one day, it picked up a discarded cigarette by the roadside.
Thinking that if it just walked around chewing on it, it would finally be a fully authentic Diet member, it joyfully sucked on the butt.

Then, coughing violently, it died.

— Ubukata Toshirō

**Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary on sketch 16: Britain, Russia, and France Agree on Peace Terms

1. Once the three of us have firmly agreed to start drinking, we promise not to show weakness partway through by saying things like, “I can’t drink anymore—let’s eat instead.”

2. We promise not to secretly order rice balls from the maid, leaving the other two out.

— Sojinkan

*Translation of Shimazaki Tōson's commentary and notes on sketch 18: French Government Moves to Bordeaux

If one could understand from the beginning that they would have to weep when looking at the caricature they themselves had drawn, then no matter how much they prided themselves on their strength, they might well have thought twice about it. — Shimazaki Tōson

On September 3, 1914, with German forces advancing toward Paris, the French government issued a proclamation titled The Abandonment of Paris and the Withdrawal of the French Government to Bordeaux. The notice informed citizens that the government was temporarily relocating to Bordeaux to ensure the continuity of national leadership should Paris fall. The proclamation concluded with a stirring appeal: “People of France, let us prove ourselves worthy of these tragic circumstances. We shall achieve final victory; we shall achieve it through unyielding will, steadfastness, and perseverance. A nation that refuses to die, that does not shrink from suffering or sacrifice in order to survive, is assured of victory.”

**Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary on sketch 20: Flood Attack on Azuchi Castle

There is a school of swordsmanship in Kii [Kishū] Province called the Odaka-ryū. It specializes in sweeping the opponent’s legs. If, however, one enters a fight fully prepared from the outset to have one's legs swept, and rushes in swiftly to strike, then even if one’s own legs are indeed cut down, one may, at that same moment, succeed in taking off the enemy’s head.

If the German forces from the start were resigned to getting wet, what could a flood attack ultimately hope to achieve?

— Sojinkan 

Note: A critique of the tactic used by the Belgian army ("白" the figure in the yellow pool) of deliberately flooding the Yser River plane to create a natural barrier against the German "独" advance. The title Flood Attack on Azuchi Castle, is likely a reference to the similarity in futility of the Belgian tactic to a "flood attack" on Azuchi Castle, the castle being a mountain-top castle surrounded by a moot.

*Translation of Watanabe Tchifuyu's commentary on sketch 22: French Offensive

A wrestler picked a quarrel with a jujutsu master. With a single move, he lifted the master into the air on his outstretched arms. The master said to the wrestler: 'Would you dare throw me to the ground? Before you even have time, I will kill you with a kick.' Seized with fright, the wrestler, still holding his opponent in his arms, began to run in all directions, shouting: 'Murder! Murder!' This is a true story.

Remembering this wrestler, I cannot help but laugh when I think of the German army which, from the very first days of September 1914, began to retreat along the entire front.

— Tchifuyu Watanabé

*Translation of Narusawa Kinbei's [Reisen] commentary on sketch 25: The Nations of the World Watch the European Inferno

Fire! Fire! 1914

Fire! Fire! 1915

Fire! Fire! 1916

Fire! Fire! 1917

Fire! Fire! 1918

—    Reisen

** Notes on sketch 26: Occupation of Jimo

For this sketch, Itō invokes the Japanese folktale of the "Peach Boy," Momotarō, who, with his assistants - a dog, monkey and a goose (a pheasant in the original folktale) -  surveil the Chinese port city of Qingdao, while German demons (Japanese: oni) stand sentry behind its walls. Momotarō and his crew are shown outside the gate to the city of Jimo about 25 miles north of Qingdao. On September 13 the Japanese seized Jimo, a northern gateway to Qingdao, which they would later seize on November 6. 

***Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary on sketch 27: Austria, Russia, Germany, and France Chase One Another, Then Are Attacked from Behind

Austria

It’s not that I’m showing my back to the enemy.
It’s just that there’s no enemy left willing to face me head-on.
Believe it or not, I’m the one who smashed Serbia.

— So (楚)

*Notes on sketch 33: The Kaiser is Cornered

In this satirical sketch, Itō depicts the German Kaiser (カイゼル) roused from his sleep by an angry crowd gathered at his doorstep. The scene reflects the growing domestic unrest caused by the Allied naval blockade—led by Britain and France—which began in August at the start of the war and quickly took a toll on Germany’s home front.

The Kaiser, visibly dismayed, holds up his hands in a defensive gesture as the crowd presses forward, carrying empty bags labeled with signs of wartime scarcity: “Bakery” (ぱん屋), “Ammunition Shop” (彈丸屋), and “Fuel Shop” (薪炭屋). These symbolize the severe shortages of food, munitions, and fuel that afflicted the German population early in the conflict.

*Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary on sketch 34: German Cruiser Königsberg Attacks British Ship Under Repair in South Africa

The German warship is named Ōdate Shichirōzaemon.

The British warship is named Ukita Tamijirō.

But there is no Japanese warship named Sano Shikajūrō.

— So (楚)

Note: In Sugimura's commentary, the three names of the warships are taken from the revenge drama "Sano Shikajūrō" with  the German ship the Königsberg being likened to the villainous swordsman Ōdate Shichirōzaemon, the British warship likened to the wronged and banished Ukita Tamijirō and the absent Japanese warship likened to Sano Shikajūrō the avenger who has not yet entered the scene.

While the sketch's title places the attack on the British ship in South Africa, the actual incident was the Königsberg's sinking of the British HMS Pegasus in Zanzibar harbor on September 20.

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 35: “It’s Not Yet Your Turn to Appear”

In this sketch the on-stage God of War tells the off-stage God of Peace, "It's not yet your turn to appear." The "war to end all wars" would continue until November 11, 1918 with Germany's agreement to a ceasefire, followed by the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, leaving over 14 million dead in its wake. 

*Translation of Ishikawa Chiyomatsuō's commentary on sketch 37: German Submarine Sinks Three British Ships in the North Sea

"This is truly the water-imp's fart!
No! No! Hee!"

— Ishikawa Chiyomatsu

Kore koso hontoni Kappa no He!

Не! Не! Hee!

By using the expression "Kappa no he," Ishikawa conveys that the British ships were good for nothing.

On September 22, a German U-boat attacked and sunk three older-class British cruisers with a loss of over 1,400 British seamen. The attack was an early devastating blow to British Navy morale. 

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 39: Four German Princes Wounded, Emperor Enraged

Although the four German princes depicted in the sketch are unnamed, historical records indicate that at least nine German princes were killed in the early months of World War I. The first was Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Lippe-Biesterfeld, who died in action on August 6, 1914, during the Battle of Liège. He was followed soon after by 18-year-old Prince Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen, who was shot in the head in mid-August.

Kaiser Wilhelm—portrayed as a demon in the sketch—sent a message of condolence following Prince Friedrich Wilhelm’s death to the reigning Prince of Lippe. In it, he wrote:

"I beg you to accept the expression of my sincerest sympathy on the occasion of the death of your worthy uncle, who, as a shining example of a brave German Prince, died at the head of his regiment at Liège for Emperor and empire."

(New York Times, “German Princes Who Have Fallen in the War; Of Sixty-Four Scions of Princely Families of the Empire Who Went to the Front Nine Have Been Killed, Including a Nephew of the Kaiser,” October 31, 1915.)

*Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 44: Protest Over Neutrality Violation at Weixian

Itō depicts a terrified and unwilling Chinese man, sword in hand, being forced forward by the German Kaiser to confront a mounted Japanese samurai. The confrontation unfolds at the gate of the town of Weixian (濰縣).

During Japan’s advance toward the German concession at Qingdao, the Japanese government pressured China—despite its formal declaration of neutrality on August 6, 1914—to allow Japanese troops to pass through the eastern region between Weixian and Zhucheng. Japan quickly disregarded this limited permission, pushing its forces beyond the agreed line and causing significant civilian casualties along the route. In response, the Chinese government issued strong diplomatic protests, denouncing Japan’s violation of Chinese neutrality and the actions of its troops.

*Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 53: Unclear Flags and Insignia

In October 1914, Italy (伊太利), Romania (羅馬尼), and Turkey (土耳其)—caricatured right to left in the sketch—were all officially neutral. While Italy and Romania were nominal members of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, neither chose to enter the war at that time. Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) had signed a secret alliance with Germany in August 1914 but had not yet taken military action. Later that month, however, the Ottoman Empire launched naval attacks on Russian ports, entering the war on the side of the Central Powers. Italy and Romania would subsequently join the Allied Powers, in May 1915 and August 1916, respectively. 

**Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary and notes on sketch 54: Fall of Azuchi Castle

England: “There it goes!”
France: “There it goes!”
Chorus: “There it goes—there it goes—”

 —So (楚)

Itō likens the fall and swift destruction of Oda Nobunaga’s magnificent Azuchi Castle, following his death in 1582, to the German invasion of neutral Belgium at the start of WWI and the passivity of the Allies in the face of German aggression. 

***Translation of Tanaka Kiichi's commentary and notes on sketch 55: Death of the King of Romania

To stand for both sides is to stand for none.
Ah, how difficult it is to be the monarch of a small and weak nation.

 — Kiichi

Itō pictures an emaciated King Carol wrapped by a rope being pulled by the pro-Russian camp (親露派) on the right and the pro-German camp (親独派) on the left.

King Carol I of Romania died on 10 October 1914, tormented by conflicting loyalties to his German homeland and his sovereign duties to Romania. Retreating to Sinaia in his final weeks, he faced press hostility and intense pressure from Central Powers diplomats demanding Romania honor its alliance. Historian Nicolae Iorga described him as “deserted, almost forgotten and dead among the living.” Austrian-Hungarian envoy Ottokar von Czernin recalled each message to the king as “the lash of a whip.” Carol’s death cleared the path for Prime Minister Ion I.C. Brătianu to pivot Romania toward the Allies.
[source: condensed and edited from the "Carol I, King of Romania," by Daniel Cain from the online International Encyclopedia of the First World War] 

****Note on Itō Chūta's sketch 56: German Plane Threatens Notre-Dame in Paris

On October 12, 1914, a German airplane dropped four bombs around Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of which landed on the roof, but failed to explode.

*Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 57: Belgian Government Relocates to Le Havre, France

Itō's sketch portrays the Belgian government’s retreat from Ostend before the advancing German forces during World War I, symbolized by a lone samurai carrying the bundled nation of Belgium (白). The milepost reads Port of Le Havre, 57 ri to Paris, 22 ri to Rouen. Along the winding road are the capital Brussels (ブルウセル), Azuchi Castle (安土城) and Ostend (オステンド), where the government relocated as Brussels came under attack. The inclusion of Azuchi Castle (安土城) —a once-magnificent fortress built by Oda Nobunaga but quickly destroyed after his death— likens Belgium’s abandoned seat of government to the fall of a proud stronghold, recalling a past Japanese tragedy to comment on the present European one. 

The poem written by the poet Toki Zenmaro tells of a man's longing for his homeland and yearning to return.

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 58: German Submarine U-Boat Sinks the Pallada; Its Crew Dies Fighting

On October 11, 1914, off the coast of Hanko, Finland in the Baltic Sea, the German submarine SM U-26 sank the Imperial Russian armored cruiser Pallada with a single torpedo, resulting in the loss of all 600 crew members. Despite the dramatic title of Itō’s sketch, SM U-26 was not destroyed immediately after the attack. It remained in service until late August 1915, when it struck a Russian mine off the Finnish coast and sank with its entire crew of 30. 

***Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 59: Aerial Battle in the Wintry Skies Over Qingdao

On October 13, 1914 an aerial battle occurred over Qingdao between Japanese seaplanes launched from the carrier Wakamiya and a single German Taube monoplane. This early, inconclusive engagement is among the first recorded air-to-air combats and a milestone in naval aviation history. 

***Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 60: Warsaw in Peril

Itō depicts a smiling Russia offering the city of Warsaw (ワルシヤウ) to an overextended Germany. By mid-October, Russia had reinforced its positions around Warsaw to halt the slow-moving German advance, progressing on foot and horseback. Facing an increasingly untenable logistical situation, the Germans withdrew on October 20. 

*Translation of Toki Zenmaro's commentary on sketch 61: Removing the Mask for a Brief Rest

In the midst of the "war to end all wars," Toki invokes the words of Confucius, "By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart." - by Toki

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 62: German Forces Occupy Ostend

On October 15, German forces occupied the port city of Ostend which they would use as a submarine base. Itō's sketch pictures Germany in full battle gear peering across the English Channel to London (ロンドン).

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 63: Britain Seeks to Involve Portugal

While Itō’s sketch portrays Britain trying to dragg a reluctant Portugal—originally a neutral party—into the war in October 1914 on the side of the Allies, hostilities between Germany and Portugal had already erupted in Africa, stemming from tensions between their respective colonial holdings. The conflict escalated after Portugal seized German merchant ships in the harbor at Lisbon, prompting Germany to declare war on Portugal on March 9, 1916. It is worth noting that Portugal and Britain shared a centuries-old alliance, dating back to the Treaty of Windsor in 1386.

****Translation of Narusawa Kinbei's commentary on sketch 64: British Ships Sink Four German Vessels Off the Dutch Coast

“...‘Come now, let us sink this wretch into the sea and chill the livers of the likes of Shigemitsu!’ so he declared, taking up a great arrow and knocking it to his bow. With a twist of his sturdy elbow, he drew it back and let it fly with a he-ra-futsu [whooshing sound], striking just five inches above the waterline.

The shaft pierced clean through the belly of the great ship, water gushing in through both entry and exit wounds. In an instant, the vessel was overwhelmed.

Led by Tadashige, over three hundred soldiers sank to the ocean floor, entombed in the bellies of great sea creatures...”

(From Chūsetsu Yumihari-zuki [Strange Tales of the Crescent Moon])

— Reisen

*Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary on sketch 65: German Ships Escape Jiaozhou Bay

A thief

never enters

through the front gate.

— Sojinkan

**Translation of Narusawa Kinbei's commentary on sketch 66: Imperial Navy Cruiser Takachiho Sinks

Damn it! (Shimatta!)

Was it a planted mine?
A drifting mine?
Rumors and hearsay
Spread without end.

— Reisen (玲川)

**Translation of Tsuboya Zenshirō's commentary on sketch 67: Occupation of the Mariana and Caroline Islands

Lightning—
At the head of waves
Crossing the equator.

— Suisai

****Note on Itō Chūta's sketch 68: The Truth Behind the Sinking of the Takachiho

At the time of the sinking of the Japanese cruiser Takachiho during the Siege of Tsingtao (Qingdao) in October 1914, the prevailing—and officially accepted—explanation was that the ship had been torpedoed by the German torpedo boat S90.

Despite clear evidence supporting this account, unfounded rumors still circulated. Itō Chūta mocks these rumors in his satirical sketch, portraying a fox labeled “S90” unleashing an enormous blast—clearly a flatulence-powered “torpedo”—into a panicked Japanese sailor. Narusawa Reisen’s accompanying commentary underscores the absurdity of such rumors, pointing out how laughable they were.

*Translation of Toki Zenmaro's commentary and notes on sketch 69: German Cruiser Emden Roams the Seas

You ride the surging waves—
Eastward? Westward?
🎵 Surely you won’t have gone far,
You were on this course…
But even in pursuit,
It’s over the sea—
How sorrowful.

— Ai

Before her destruction in November 1914 at the hands of an Australian warship, the German cruiser Emden had a formidable record—sinking or capturing 27 Allied ships. Itō Chūta’s sketch wryly imagines Emden not as a ship but as a crafty fugitive hiding in the jungle, peeking out from behind a tree as his frantic pursuers rush blindly past, unaware. 

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 70: Japan Misses a Major Russian Order

Itō Chūta’s satirical sketch portrays a moment of lost opportunity: a major Russian order for armaments appears to have gone to an American firm rather than a Japanese one. Although the United States remained officially neutral in October 1914, President Woodrow Wilson permitted private American companies—including Remington, Winchester, and Colt—to sell arms to the Allied Powers, including Russia.

In the sketch, a well-dressed Russian, carrying a briefcase presumably filled with cash, strides past a Japanese shop offering rifles and sundries, heading instead toward a competing establishment labeled “Amerika shop” (あ免リか屋), which displays similar goods. The Japanese shopkeeper looks anxious and disappointed, while the American counterpart appears cheerful and welcoming.

Rather than commenting on a broad embargo or any remaining hostility from the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), the image likely references a specific arms deal lost to the Americans. By early August 1914, the Japanese government had already encouraged its arms industry to pursue contracts with Russia, signaling a shift toward pragmatic cooperation between the two former adversaries in the context of World War I.

***Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 71: Turkey Enters the War

Itō depicts a thin, dancing Ottoman figure performing for a large-bodied German, while a mixed crowd of onlookers displays both approval and anger—reflecting the divided international reaction to their entry into WWI.

The Ottoman Empire had signed a secret alliance treaty with Germany on August 2, 1914, hoping this pact would end their diplomatic isolation and help preserve the empire's territorial integrity and independence, particularly against Russian threats. Despite the alliance, the Ottomans initially maintained neutrality.

Only after Germany exerted considerable pressure—especially following early Central Powers defeats at the Battles of the Marne and Galicia in September 1914—did the Ottomans move decisively toward war. The empire formally entered World War I on October 29, 1914, when Ottoman warships, including vessels under German command, bombarded Russian ports on the Black Sea.

****Translation of Narusawa Kinbei's commentary and notes on sketch 72: Faces of the Great Powers

Special Grand Performance
A Masterpiece by Mr. Chūta – A Kokusui-sha Film
European Tragedy – Chain Mail, Part II
A five-reel, 500-scene epic in a serialized, grand-scale motion picture

Starring the fierce actor Kaiser Wilhelm, in a heroic, world-shaking performance
Featuring the famous cross-dressing actress Belgium, in a hair’s-breadth escape from peril

Premieres Today
Gunkoku-kan Theater

— Reisen

The seven powers pictured in Itō's sketch are (top to bottom, left to right): 英 → England, 獨 → Germany, 露 → Russia, 佛 → France, 白 → Belgium, 墺 → Austria and 塞 →Serbia

*Translation of Haga Yaichi's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 75: Turkey's Misjudgment

Smooth talk,
Carried away by Turkey’s good mood,
Such deceitful eyes —
[Now under]
The crescent-moon flag.

— Yaichi

Turkey (土 ) is led by the hand of a smiling Germany (獨) as British ruled India (印度) and nominally neutral Persia (波斯 ) look on with an expression of surprise. 

**Translation of Narusawa Kinbei's commentary and notes on sketch 76: Fall of Qingdao Draws Near

Paradise Lost

Now, the accursed fruit of the Tree of Knowledge 

— Reisen 

*Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 77: German Ships Slaughter Three British Ships off Chile 

On 1 November 1914, German and British naval forces clashed off the coast of Coronel, Chile, resulting in the loss of two British warships—not three—and the deaths of more than 1,700 British seamen. During the battle, the German fleet sank the British armored cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, while two other British ships, Glasgow and Otranto, escaped. Rough seas prevented the Germans from launching rescue efforts, but the British accused them of murdering the sailors. This first major British naval defeat of World War I was a serious humiliation. During the British counterattack at the Battle of the Falklands on 8 December, British forces similarly failed to rescue German seamen, citing rough seas. Four German ships were lost, along with over 2,000 men.

**Translation of Narusawa Kinbei's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 78: German Ship Kaiserin Elisabeth Scuttled in Jiaozhou Bay

"Dying here, I will never be able to find rest."

The SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth, named after Empress Elisabeth of Austria, was an aging Austro-Hungarian cruiser stationed at Qingdao in 1914. When the German colony came under siege, her guns were removed and repurposed for the defense of the fortified port. The ship was scuttled on November 2, 1914, just five days before the city fell to Japanese and British forces. 

***Translation of Takashima Daien's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 79: German and French Forces Writhing in the French Countryside

"Ashura" is a Sanskrit word. In Chinese, it is translated as “non-heaven”, “non-kind”, or “improper”.
I would render it in Japanese as “writhing in agony.”
According to Buddhist teaching, the realm of Ashura is one of the Ten Worlds—a brutish realm that constantly wages war with the Thirty-Three Heavens.
If you persist in acts of destruction, slaughter, and mutual devouring, and make a way of life of writhing between the boundaries of hellish realms and the path of the Buddha, then truly, you will never reach the moment of liberation from birth and death.
Hah!

— Takashima Mokuhō (Daien)

****Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 80: The Balkan States Waver 

Itō presents a signpost reading “To the left, road to Germany” (左獨逸道) and “To the right, road to Russia” (右露西亜道). Turkey (土) is depicted running down the road toward Germany, symbolizing its entry into the war on the side of the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) on October 29, 1914. Standing undecided at the crossroads are Bulgaria (勃), Romania (羅), and Greece (希), with Greece pointing toward the road to Russia. Historically, Bulgaria joined the Central Powers in October 1915, while Romania joined the Allied Powers (Russia, France, and Britain) in August 1916. Greece, after a period of internal division and neutrality, aligned with the Allied Powers in June 1917. 

*Translation of Iwaya Sazanami's commentary on Itō Chūta's sketch 82: Fall of Qingdao

Long ago, the tale goes, Momotarō conquered Onigashima [Demon Island], subdued the demons, and brought back heaps of treasure. But today's Momotarō, even after seizing the real thing, when glared at by eagles and lions, seems ready to abandon both treasure and island, tucking his tail and retreating with his dog in tow.
And yet, somehow, it’s all deemed a great success.
— An Unofficial Fairy Tale History

**Translation of Narusawa's commentary on Itō Chūta's sketch 83: Fall of Qingdao

Taishō 3 (1914)
“Oh, you caught it well! Well done! Everyone is overjoyed. Hurry up and bring it up.”

Taishō 8 (1919)
“Oh? You're still clinging to it? Afraid of the American dog? What a cowardly cat you are.”

— Reisen (玲川)

***Notes on Nagata's commentary on Itō Chūta's sketch 84: Fall of Qingdao

In his commentary, Nagata comments on postwar pressure to return Qingdao to China, commenting "giving it back now would be pathetic."

A Note*: Japanese Perspective on the Allied Powers' Actions Regarding Qingdao (1914–1922)

*The below summary is drawn from the following sources: Saaler, Sven. “Qingdao, Siege of/German-Japanese War.” 1914–1918 Online. “Occupation during and after the War (China).” 1914–1918 Online. “Treaty for the Settlement of Outstanding Questions Relative to Shandong.” U.S. Office of the Historian. “The Siege of Qingdao.” Cairn.info. Bauer, Wolfgang. “The Trade Development of Tsingtao under Japanese Management.” Hokkaido University Repository.

From the Japanese perspective, the seizure of Qingdao in 1914 was a justified and strategic extension of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Japan viewed its military intervention against Germany in China's Shandong Province as a demonstration of alliance fidelity and regional stability. However, following the successful capture of Qingdao, Japan expected its efforts to be rewarded with territorial concessions, aligning with Western imperialist norms at the time.

Yet, Japan felt betrayed and constrained by its Western allies during the postwar settlement process. Although Japan had secured Germany’s rights in Shandong under the Treaty of Versailles (1919), massive protests in China (May Fourth Movement) and increasing U.S. pressure for open diplomacy and territorial integrity led to a reversal. The Washington Naval Conference (1921–1922) became the setting where Japan, under considerable diplomatic pressure, agreed to return Qingdao to China, despite viewing the territory as legitimately earned through military effort and treaty.

To many Japanese nationalists and policymakers, the coerced return represented a humiliation and a double standard in international politics: Western powers retained their colonies while denying Japan comparable rights in East Asia. This diplomatic outcome undermined Japan’s trust in Western-led institutions and fueled long-term resentment that contributed to its later confrontational foreign policy.

*Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 85: The Fate of the German Ship Geier

"In 1914, World War I broke out as the Geier steamed towards Tsingtao. Alone in the eastern Pacific, under gunned and chased by hostile Japanese naval forces, the Geier's captain, Karl Grasshof, decided his best course of action would be to intern his vessel in a neutral port. The Territory of Hawai'i appeared the most benign, so Geier made all possible speed to Honolulu. After three weeks in the port of Honolulu, the U.S. Navy intervened and detained the Geier to prevent the ship and crew from advancing the German war effort. During its three-year internment in Honolulu, hostilities escalated between the United States and Germany, until 1917, when the United States entered World War I." [source: website of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary https://monitor.noaa.gov/shipwrecks/schurz.html#:~:text=After%20three%20weeks%20in%20the,States%20entered%20World%20War%20I.]

In the upper right of Itō's sketch he comments: "Flees to Hawai‘i and lays down arms."

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 86: Turkey is Cornered

The text on the right side of Itō's sketch reads, "The Russian army devastates Anatolia; the British army takes Cyprus."

At the time Itō Chūta created this sketch, Britain had just formally annexed Cyprus, a territory it had administered as a protectorate since the 1878 Cyprus Convention with the Ottoman Empire. The annexation occurred on November 5, 1914, in direct response to the Ottoman Empire’s entry into World War I on the side of the Central Powers on October 31, 1914. Meanwhile, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire on November 2 and launched an offensive the following day with an invasion into Ottoman-held Armenian territory. 

***Translation of Aijima Kanjirō's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 87: The Final Moments of the Emden

Aijima, signing as "Kyokō Sanjin," quotes the Confucian scholar Mencius, "If a country does not trust the benevolent and the wise, it will be left empty and hollow." Perhaps, his reflection on German leadership?

Itō's sketch pictures a teetering German after a blow from a British Empire (英) "samurai." His commentary reads, "Defeated by the British warship Sydney at Cocos Island."

By October 1914, the German cruiser Emden, operating in the Indian Ocean, had captured or sunk 25 allied steamers and 2 warships, severely disrupting commerce and endangering Australia's ocean links to Britain. It's whereabouts unknown, on November 9, it was to give away its position during its attack on the Australian transmission station on Cocos's Direction Island. Dispatched to investigate a distress call from the transmission station, the Australian* HMAS Sydney was to engage the Emden disabling it and forcing its captain to ground the ship which was subsequently destroyed by wave action.

[source: website of the Royal Australian Navy https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/history-milestones/battle-between-hmas-sydney-sms-emden]

*In November 1914, Australia was a Dominion within the British Empire with its foreign affairs being under British control.

****Translation of Itō Chūta's commentary and notes on his sketch 88: China’s Attitude Toward Japan

"That's a wild boar that came into my field! Hurry up, put it down and get out of here now!" "Well, maybe I'll have a smoke break first." 

— Chūta

Itō's satirical sketch depicts a Chinese farmer confronting a Japanese hunter over a wild boar he has killed, demanding that he leave the boar behind and depart. This represents a casual dismissal of Chinese demands that Japan return territory taken from the Germans—specifically Shandong Province, which includes Qingdao—to Chinese control.

*Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 89: The Last Days of the German Warship Königsberg

Itō's sketch, dated November 13, 1914, foretold the ultimate demise in July 1915 of the Königsberg. Above the head of ferocious sea dragon her writes, ""Driven into a river in Zanzibar, South Africa, and ran aground."

Summary of material on the website of The National Archives, United Kingdom https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/sinking-german-cruiser-konigsberg/

The German cruiser Königsberg sank Britain's HMS Pegasus in a surprise attack at Zanzibar in September 1914 (see Sketch 34), prompting Britain to strengthen its Cape squadron. Tracked to Zanzibar’s Rufiji River delta, Königsberg was located by aerial reconnaissance, though initial efforts to destroy her stalled. In July 1915, monitors HMS Severn and Mersey, aided by aircraft from Mafia Island, launched two bombardments. On 11 July, after a prolonged exchange, Königsberg’s guns were silenced and the ship rendered inoperative, ending its threat and leaving the Royal Navy in effective control of the Indian Ocean.

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 90: Russian Army Advances into German Territory

In November 1914, Russia launched a second offensive into East Prussia after devastating early defeats at the hands of the German army. The reconstituted Russian forces initially advanced but were ultimately stalled by winter conditions, logistics issues, and German defenses, achieving only limited gains. 

***Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 91: Waldeck Arrives

Alfred Meyer-Waldeck was appointed chief of staff at Tsingtao in 1908, becoming governor in 1911. During World War I, he led German forces defending Tsingtao, resisting Japanese and British troops until surrendering on November 7, 1914 due to depleted artillery supplies. Captured as a prisoner-of-war by Japan, he endured five years of confinement in Japan, criticizing the Japan's harsh treatment of POWs. Released in December 1919, he oversaw prison camp dissolutions and was retroactively promoted by the German government. Leaving Japan in March 1920, he officially retired from German military service by August 1920.

****Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 92: Humane Treatment of Prisoners of War

This freeloader—he won’t even come out on a four-meal day,

But in exchange, at least he doesn’t sweep a square garden in circles.

— Sō 

Japan’s official policy on the treatment of prisoners of war—approximately 4,700, almost all of them German and captured during the fall of Qingdao—was to adhere to the provisions of the Hague Convention. For the most part, the POWs were treated with relative leniency and respect as fellow soldiers. However, there were isolated exceptions, particularly at the Kurume POW camp, where the commanding officer was known for his harshness.

In several camps, prisoners were permitted to interact with the local population, and after the war, some chose to remain in Japan, contributing to advancements in areas such as engineering and music.

Despite the generally humane conditions, some prisoners lodged complaints, and Japan faced criticism—at times unjustified—regarding its treatment of POWs. Itō Chūta’s sketch and Sugimura Kōtarō’s accompanying commentary reflect indignation at these complaints, suggesting a Japanese perspective that saw them as ungrateful or exaggerated.

*Translation of Toki Zenmaro's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 93: Winter Cold Presses Down on Northern Europe

Normal Condition
The sleeves stiffen in the biting wind and snow.
Drawn into play, even the body gets involved—
before you know it, enemies find themselves
not in the midst of deep grudges piling up,
but truly—how novel—a welcome pause.

— Ai (哀)

**Translation of Itō Chūta's commentary on his sketch 94: Reasons for the Fall of Qingdao

Reasons for the Fall of Qingdao

Alas, our Qingdao was surrounded by Japan’s barbarian troops. Though our officers and men were full of loyal courage, they were completely worn down and weakened. There was no way to hold out any longer.

Still, we rallied the troops with all our might, applying the Thirty-Six Stratagems and every secret tactic we could muster, doing our utmost to resist. But even so…

— Chūta

Lower banner (A mock letter to the Kaiser):

Even we could not defend it. The Japanese barbarian soldiers knew nothing of the proper conduct of war, and recklessly charged in, heedless of order or form.
Under such circumstances, how could we possibly maintain a proper defensive formation even for a moment?
We, who have always valued the customs of honorable warfare, now accept the honor of surrender.
November 7, Taishō 3 (1914)
Governor of Qingdao
Meyer-Waldeck
Respectfully, with a hundred prostrations
To His Majesty (Emperor Wilhelm)

***Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 95: The Massacre at the Battle of the Falklands

The text within Itō's sketch reads: 

German warships
Scharnhorst,
Gneisenau,
Leipzig—
were sunk by British ships.

Not listed in Itō's comments, a fourth German ship the light cruiser Nürnberg was sunk during the engagement.

The Battle of the Falklands (December 8, 1914) was a decisive British naval victory following Germany’s triumph at Coronel (see Sketch 77.) Admiral Maximilian von Spee’s East Asia Squadron—comprising the armored cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and light cruisers Leipzig, Dresden, and Nürnberg—attempted to raid Port Stanley in the Falklands. Unbeknownst to Spee, the British had dispatched a superior force under Admiral Doveton Sturdee, including battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible, armored cruisers Carnarvon, Cornwall, and Kent, and light cruisers Bristol and Glasgow.

Caught by surprise, Spee’s fleet attempted to flee but was hunted down. All ships except Dresden were sunk, and Spee perished with his flagship Scharnhorst. The British lost only ten men. The battle eliminated Germany’s surface naval threat outside Europe and marked a shift toward submarine warfare. It also restored British naval prestige after Coronel and secured Allied control over South Atlantic sea routes. 

Source: Summary from the website of the International Encyclopedia of the First World War https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/falklands-battle-of-the/

****Translation of Toki Zenmaro's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 96: Kaiser Falls Ill

Lord of Medicine (head court physician): "Your Majesty, if I may humbly suggest, if you would set aside that sword, then I would not throw away this spoon."

— Toki Yoshimaro

Toki uses the Japanese expression "to throw the spoon," (equivalent to "throwing in the towel") to suggest that if Emperor Wilhelm II, suffering a "nervous breakdown," stops his self-destructive behavior (i.e. ends the war), his head physician will continue to treat him.

The following brief reports on the Kaiser's illness appeared in several Australian newspapers on December 14, 1914.

THE KASIER’S ILLNESS

CROWN PRINCE SUMMONED

                     PARIS Friday

The “Echo de Paris” states that the German Crown Prince was hurriedly summoned to the bedside of the Kaiser.

                     COPENHAGEN, Friday

The Kaiser’s temperature is 101 deg. The nervous breakdown and his condition continues serious.

Doctors have persuaded him to take opiates.

*Translation of Sugimura Kōtarō's commentary and notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 97: Triumphal Return of the Army that Defeated Germany

Sugimura's commentary reads "the demon's head," and in his sketch, Itō depicts the triumphant return of the Peach Boy, Momotarō, and his helpers (see Sketches 26 and 82) to his parents after quelling the German demons at Qingdao.  

On December 18, 1914, the date appearing on Itō's sketch, a ceremony was held at Tokyo Station, combining the station's grand opening with the celebratory return of Army Lieutenant General Kamio Mitsuomi and Navy Vice Admiral Sadaaki Katō, who led the Qingdao expeditionary forces.

[source: Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation "Tokyo Station Opening Celebration"]

**Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 98: Debates on Dispatching Troops to Europe

Itō depicts the European Allied Powers as flailing figures in the water, suggesting their fear of drowning (being overrun by the Great Powers), while the Japanese on the shore debate whether to dispatch troops to the Western Front to aide their allies.

Beginning in late 1914, Britain, France, Russia, and others requested Japanese troops for the European front, but Japan firmly declined, citing the military’s mandate for national defense only. Even when Britain offered financial support and postwar diplomatic influence, Japan refused. Naval deployment requests were also declined due to concerns about weakening home defenses. However, after Germany began unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917, Japan reversed its position and sent a naval squadron to the Mediterranean—conditional on British support for Japan’s territorial claims in Shandong and the Pacific, which Britain agreed to in February 1917. In addition, Japan’s Red Cross Society dispatched doctors and nurses—who held military rank during wartime—to Petrograd in December 1914, followed by medical teams sent to Paris and Southampton in 1915. 

[source: condensed and edited from “Chapter 5: Japan and World War I” by Nakamura Akira appearing in The Road to the Greater East Asian War, part of the SDHF Newsletter series, p. 2-3 [Note: The Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact (SDHF), the publisher of this material, is widely criticized for promoting historical revisionism, particularly in its efforts to downplay or deny Japanese wartime atrocities committed during World War II.]

Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 99: Death of Austrian Emperor

An ōni (servant of Enma, the lord of hell) leads an emaciated Emperor Franz Joseph I towards, what we can assume to be, the underworld. While the Austrian emperor was often in ill health, he did not die until November 21, 1916. Itō likely uses the frail figure of the emperor metaphorically, representing Austria-Hungary’s collapsing military position by the end of 1914. The empire had overextended itself across three fronts—Serbia, Galicia, and Russia—suffering devastating losses due to poor planning, chaotic logistics, and strategic overreach.

Notes on Itō Chūta's sketch 100: Dissolution of the Imperial Diet

In December 1914, Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu faced strong opposition in the Diet over a proposal to add two army divisions in Korea. Despite efforts to build support, the Seiyūkai party blocked the military budget, citing financial and strategic concerns. After the proposal was rejected on December 25, Ōkuma dissolved the 35th Diet, stating, “The majority of the House of Representatives are too zealous in party struggles to think about the national emergency ... They want us to question the aims of the war. They are also causing soldiers to doubt their objective.” Critics called the act punitive, but Ōkuma defended it as constitutional. 

[source: Ōkuma Shigenobu: Statesman of Meiji Japan, Joyce C. Lebra, ANU Press, 1973, p. 122-124. Available on the web through the Australian National University Open Research Repository https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/items/3b8745f8-4bf9-4beb-906a-40ed45bed6ee]

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