Orientation for the Pacific Theater

Document prepared by The U. S. Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland in July 1944 for officers who would soon be deplooyed in the Pacific Theater of World War II. As explained in the Preface: This is a description of Japan's military power as the Japanese conceive it. The nation's strength roots in many things, including beliefs, attitudes, feelings and mental habits. These are the factors that make the Japanese a formidable foe, and an accurate conception of them has military value. The action of the enemy often is intelligible only in terms of these factors. An understanding of the forces motivating Japanese actions is best attained by residence in Japan and association with Japanese people. The war has made such contact impossible at the very time an insight into Japanese characteristics is most needed, and observations already made have to serve as a substitute. The material presented here is intended to help in this way. The conclusions stated here were formulated by the writer after three years of residence in Japan and subsequent studies of things Japanese. The material was first presented as a series of lectures at the Military Intelligence Training Center, and the original organization has been retained."