This set of forty photographs, thought possibly to be unique, was produced during World War II for the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The photographs are sequenced, possibly to form a book maquette. It is believed that the Facist government of Japan at the time, conscripted Yamawaki and the photographers enlisted to produce these images.

Iwao Yamawaki studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau from 1903-32, leading to a career as a distinguished designer in Japan. In 1939, he designed the Japan Pavilion for the New York World's Fair.