How to tell Japanese and Chinese people apart.

Found this while at the National World War 2 Museum in New Orleans, USA.

It's a World War 2 era American poster instructing soldiers how to tell the difference between their Chinese allies and their Japanese enemies.

Hilarious. Offensive, but hilarious. Transcript is below, in case the image isn't clear

***

QUICK WAYS TO SPOT A JAP


AMERICAN soldiers must lean how to identify a Jap unerringly among the other Asiatic peoples whom he resembles in some ways. Making the correct decision may be a matter of life or death to the cunning Jap’s copiers.

And now that the existence of a well organized Jap fifth column in this country had been revealed, all civilians will be wise if they, too, familiarise themselves with positive ways of distinguishing a potentially dangerous Jap from a friendly Chinese.

Picture 1

CAPTAIN – Ryan, you and Terry have been out in China for a long time… How about showing the men a few points of difference between the Japs and our oriental allies!

RYAN – Yes, sir!

Picture 2

Here are two men just picked up by a patrol… The first thing to consider is appearance… The Chinese is “C”… The Jap is “J”. Notice that C is Terry’s size - which is average American; J is shorter – and looks as if his legs are joined directly to his chest!

Picture 3

C is dull bronze in color – while J is lighter – more on the lemon-yellow side. C’s eyes are set like any European’s or American’s – but have a marked squint… J has eyes slanted toward his nose.

Picture 4

The Chinese has a smooth face… The Jap runs to hair… Look at their profiles and teeth… C usually has evenly set choppers – J has buck teeth… The Chinese smiles easily – the Jap usually expects to be shot… and is very unhappy about the whole thing… especially if he is an officer!

Picture 5

You may find Japs among any oriental civilian group… that is a favorite infiltration trick… make your man walk… the Chinese strides… the Jap shuffles (but he may clever enough to fake the stride)… make him remove his socks and shoes, if any…

Picture 6

The Chinese and other Asiatics have fairly normal feet… The Jap wore a wooden sandal (“Geta”) before he was issued army shoes… He will usually have a wide space between the first and second toes… often calloused from the leather strap that held the “Geta” to his foot.

Picture 7

Sometimes the Jap officers have none of these characteristics – many of them speak English, some know our American slang… but most Japanese hiss when they pronounce the letter “s”… have the two men repeat a sentence like “Smith left the fortress” (or a similar line).


JAP A: “Smith left the faultless”

JAP B: “SS-S-Smit reft the fortress-s-s”

TERRY: “Or, try LALAPALOOZA on them. That’s a panic!”

The Jap sucks in on any “S” sound – and he can’t pronounce the letter “L”.

Picture 8

RYAN – Don’t trust any Japanese prisoner – they’re tough babies… and think it glorious to die if they can take an enemy with them! Even when a Jap is stripped down for jungle fighting, he wears a “G-string” which is really a “grouch bag”… always remove it and search both flaps carefully before returning it!

TERRY: “He doesn’t resist because he’s modest – here’s why…”

Picture 9

If you just slap a Jap’s clothing to locate concealed weapons, you may lose a prisoner – and your own life… Don’t unscrew fountain pens or tinker with any object that could contain acid or an explosive. Watch out for sleeve guns and other comic strip gadgets… The Japs are experts at such stuff…

Picture 10

To sum it up, spotting a Jap depends upon three things:

1 APPEARANCE – Short, squat, fairly heavy beard… lemon-yellow skin, slanted eyes. G-string. Almost no waist-line; stocky build

2 FEET – Wide space between first and second toes… callous on the web

3 PRONUNCIATION – He can’t pronounce our liquid “L”… Hisses on any “S” sound

Picture 11

RYAN – Remember that Jap spies have fooled even the Chinese… They’ll use any trick – even after pretending to surrender… and they’ll try to pose as natives of whatever country they’re in!

TERRY – The Japanese language is a useful code in itself… What they write or say to one another may mean your name on a casualty list!