Taro Yashima
vs.
the Fascists

Many are the names that we remember of the refugee-artists who fled Hitler’s Germany for the United States – but few are the Japanese artists we recall who departed the shores of fascist Japan for America. This article tells the story of Taro Yashima (born Atsushi Iwamatsu, 1908 – 1994) who was brutalized by the militarists in his homeland and fled in 1939, only to be drafted in the U.S. Army and create art for the OSS.

“Finally Yashima escaped to this country, with his wife and son. He has made a book of pictures and text, the story of his fight against Japanese tyranny. It is called The New Sun… this book won him instant recognition both as a writer and illustrator of incisive style.”

(The other Japanese artist-refugee was Kamekichi Tokita, 1897 – 1948.)

– two from Amazon: