Diplomatic map of Europe and Asia (1904)

This map was published by a Japanese student, Kisaburō Ohara, in 1904, in the context of the Russo-Japanese War.

The map is one of many examples of anti-Russian propaganda in which Russia is depicted as an octopus oppressing the other powers.

As in Rose's map, Ohara shows the European powers facing off against the tentacles of Russia. The big difference in the European section is the representation of Poland and Finland with two skulls, criticising not only Russian oppression, but also its consequences.

Ohara's original work depicts the entire Asian continent as also being oppressed by Russian imperialism, with tentacles grasping Persia, Tibet and China. The author's intention was to demonise the enemy, since Japan, which does not appear oppressed, was fighting the Russian army for control of Manchuria and Korea, regions that appear next to one of the tentacles.

The map is written in Japanese and English. This is because the piece was used to influence the British Empire not to maintain its neutrality and to join Japan in the fight against Russia.

This map, like many others that use octopuses, is heavily influenced by the map of Fred W. Rose. In this monograph, You can see many more examples.