Japan’sCarnivalWarJapanintheAsia-PacificWaryearsisusuallyrememberedforeconomicdeprivation,politicalrepression,andculturalbarrenness.BenjaminUchiyamaarguesthatalthoughthewarcreatedtheopportunityforthestatetoexpanditscontroloversocietyandmassculture,italsofracturedJapanesepeople’ssenseofidentity,spillingoutthroughaculturalframe-workthatisbestunderstoodas“carnivalwar.”Inthisculturalhistory,weareintroducedtofivesymbolicfigures:thethrill-seekingreporter,themischievousmunitionsworker,thetragicsoldier,theelusivemoviestar,andtheglamorousyouthaviator.TogethertheyrepresentboththesuppressionandproliferationofculturallifeinwartimeJapananddemonstratethat“carnival...