Momotarō's Sea Eagles
| Momotarō no Umiwashi | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mitsuyo Seo |
| Written by | Mitsuyo Seo |
| Music by | Noboru Itō |
Release date |
|
Running time | 37 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Momotarō's Sea Eagles (Japanese: 桃太郎の海鷲, Hepburn: Momotarō no Umiwashi) is a Japanese animated propaganda film produced in 1942 by Geijutsu Eigasha and released on 25 March 1943. With a running time of 37 minutes, it was close to being a feature-length film.
A DVD version without English subtitles was released in Japan by the bookstore chain Kinokuniya Shoten in 2004; a version with English subtitles was released in the United States by Zakka Films in 2009.
Although recorded as being produced with the cooperation of the Japanese Naval Ministry, there was in fact no such cooperation (due to concerns about official military secrets). However, the Japanese Imperial Navy did endorse the film .
Featuring the "Peach Boy" character of Japanese folklore, the film was aimed at children, and tells the story of a naval unit consisting of the young boy Momotarō and several animal species representing the Far Eastern races fighting together for a common goal. In a dramatization of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the force attacks the demons at the appropriately named island of Onigashima ('Demon Island', which represents the British and American military). The film also utilizes actual footage of the Pearl Harbor attack. A sequel, Momotaro: Sacred Sailors, was released in 1945, which was the first full-length Japanese animated film.