Gōshū shashinchō : tsuketari, Nyū Jīrando –Planned Japanese invasion of Australia and New Zealand album, 1942.
A rare album relating to the Japanese Imperial Army's plan to invade Australia and New Zealand during World War Two was compiled and issued by the headquarters of the Japanese Rikugun in Jakarta. This book contains reproductions of maps, aerial photographs, photographs, and postcards of major geographical and topical features, as well as major cities and industrial infrastructure such as dams, mines, smelters, and factories in Australia and New Zealand.
The maps are annotated to indicate the locations of the various photographed features. The photographs appear to be copied from commercially available sources, including government and private industrial publicity brochures.
The book was intended for use by the Imperial Japanese Army and Air Service personnel as an aid to identify targets of strategic importance in Australia and New Zealand. These targets could potentially be destroyed either through bombing raids or in an invasion by Japanese ground forces.
One of the most highly targeted areas was Mornington, Victoria, and its environs; there are also numerous aerial views of Darwin and Broome, which were both bombed by the Japanese.
However, there were some errors. On page 150 of the album are some images of significant buildings around Perth, but the image is identified as Perth Railway Station but is, in fact, Adelaide Railway Station.
