About This Print

Source: Impressions of the Front: Woodcuts of the Sino-Japanese War, Okamoto, Shumpei, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1983, p.31

General Oshima Yoshimasa, on horseback, looks over his troops advancing toward the Manchurian battle site.  War correspondent Kubota Beisen (1852-1906) reported:  “At dawn on December 13, [1894] our entire army filed out of camp and marched through Manchuria’s hard ice and packed snow toward Haicheng.  Only three li long (one mile), the trek was extremely difficult over the snow-and-ice covered mountains.  A strong north wind stung both the men and the horses.  As many as twenty-seven horses froze to death this day.” 

The severity of the Manchurian winter forced cessation of military operations and the Japanese First Army encamped.

Officer's Winter Clothing

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 24, January 5, 1895, American Medical Association, p. 223.
Surgeon-General Isigaro: "The usual winter clothing consists of the regulation jacket, trousers, caps and shoes, with woolen socks and breast clothes, one blanket, besides underwear, etc. They have a thick fur bead covering, a fur overcoat, with double lined neck piece and extra flannel undershirt, extra woolen merino drawers and long stockings and extra blanket, gloves made of thick blanketing, a stock of paper underwear and a large fur skin, which may be used on certain duties, as well as for covering. This dress generally goes to officers of rank."