These two graphics depict two versions of the "Yellow Peril" fears in the Western world from the end of the nineteenth century onward. Above is the classic Yellow Peril scenario based on a sketch by Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II made shortly after Japan's military defeat of China in 1895. In it, a seated Buddha figure presiding over a firestorm approaches Europe from the East--a metaphor for "hordes" of angry Asians. The goal? Complete destruction of Western civilization. The leader of these menacing hordes? Japan. Here the nations of Europe rally beneath a shining cross to meat the threat. This image later circulated throughout Europe in the form of a poster exhorting the peoples of Europe to join in the defense of their faith and their homes.

At left is a 1920s American version of the same basic menace scenario: world conquest by Asiatic "hordes." This pulp magazine cover is clearly a derivative of British novelist Sax Rhomer's character Fu Manchu, a "diabolical genius" who had mastered both Western science and the powers derived mysterious Oriental knowledge and practices. Here he is seen turning the "hordes" into zombies.

Recall the earlier discussion of Western fascination with the alleged "paradox" of Japan's modern industrial prowess despite its being a land of steeped in ancient Oriental culture. Yellow Peril fears earlier in the twentieth century relied on a similar juxtaposition, though, of course, with the emphasis on menace. Such cultural stereotypes continue to exert subtle influences on the way many Americans think about and imagine Japan.