"JAP LANGUAGE USEFUL PHRASES" USMC MARINE CORPS WWII TRAINING FILM 64734

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DISCLAIMER: This historic film contains words, language and phrases -- particularly with respect to race -- which may be offensive to a modern audience. Periscope Film presents this movie as an historical document, so that students, researchers and the general public can see an original, WWII source document, just as Marines would have seen it during the conflict. We do not endorse the opinions or racial ideas presented in the film, but embrace a pluralistic society where differences are respected; racial names and epithets are anathema to our organization.

This WWII training film "Jap Language Useful Phrases" was made for the indoctrination of U.S. Marines. The film begins with footage of captured Japanese soldiers, and a discussion of the importance of the intelligence gained from them which has helped save American lives. Next, the film moves to the classroom where some basic pronunciation guides are shown, and then phrases such as "Surrender", "Cease Fire", "Drop Your Weapons", "Hands Up", "We Won't Murder You", and others are taught. The instructor also teaches phrases for dealing with captured Japanese prisoners including "Strip", "Come Out", "Come Here", "Forward March", "Shut Up", etc. A Japanese soldier is shown in the classroom, presumably a Japanese-American drafted into the role specifically for the film.


This military training film emphasizes the critical role of capturing Japanese prisoners during World War II to gather valuable intelligence, which helped save many American lives in key battles like Guadalcanal and the Marshall Islands. It teaches U.S. Marines how to handle prisoners safely and introduces 11 essential Japanese phrases used to command enemy soldiers in the field—such as “surrender,” “cease fire,” “drop your weapons,” “hands up,” “come here,” and “we won’t kill you.” The film provides pronunciation tips and interactive repetition to ensure effective communication. It concludes by stressing that learning these phrases could mean the difference between life and death, reinforcing that language can be as powerful as any weapon in combat.



0:33 – The narrator explains that many American lives were saved in battles such as Guadalcanal and the Marshall Islands due to intelligence gathered from captured Japanese prisoners.

0:54 – Japanese prisoners are described as potentially more valuable than capturing enemy positions, as they can reveal enemy strength, location, plans, and command posts.

1:08 – Emphasis is placed on safely and efficiently handling prisoners to get them to the rear for questioning.

1:14 – Basic Japanese language knowledge is introduced as an essential skill for Marines in the field to aid in prisoner capture.

1:27 – The video sets out to teach 11 essential Japanese phrases relevant to capturing prisoners.

1:35 – A pronunciation guide is given for Japanese vowels and syllables, stressing accurate pronunciation and rhythm.

2:15 – The first phrase, "surrender" (kōsan seyo), is introduced and practiced.

2:58 – The second phrase, "cease fire" (buchi katare, or yame), is taught, urging the audience to associate it with a life-saving action.

3:38 – "Drop your weapons" (buki o sutero) is the third command, repeated and emphasized for proper enunciation.

4:08 – The phrase "hands up" (te o agete) is introduced with physical motion for reinforcement.

4:30 – "We won't murder you" (korosanai yo) is taught to assure surrendering soldiers of safety.

5:08 – A recap is provided, and phrases are reviewed with interactive questioning to reinforce learning.

5:49 – Correct pronunciation is emphasized again for "drop your weapons" (buki o sutero) and "hands up" (te o agete).

6:24 – The phrase "strip" (hadaka ni nare) is introduced, along with pronunciation practice.

6:49 – Two phrases—"come out" (dette koi) and "come here" (kocchi koi)—are introduced and practiced together.

7:48 – "Forward march" (susume) is the next command, repeated for accuracy and clarity.

8:08 – The term "halt" (tomare) is taught as the counterpart to "march."

8:23 – The final phrase, "shut up" (damare), is introduced and emphasized for crowd or prisoner control.

8:42 – A full recap of all 11 Japanese phrases is conducted with group repetition and reinforcement of meaning.

10:25 – The narrator closes by stressing the life-saving potential of learning these phrases, urging Marines to memorize them as essential tools of war.



This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com