1937 Japanese Tennis Collection - to incl rare 1937 'Axis' Commemorative Lawn Tennis Programme, an unusual Taikodo Lawn Tennis Racket from imperial Japan and Edwin Trim postcard of Japanese Davis Cup player Zenzo Shimidzu. Note: The 12-page programme was produced for a tennis meeting between Japan and Nazi Germany, shortly before the second World War. The meeting took place from November 6th-8th. The black and white photographs inside are all the competing players which include Gottfried Von Cramm and Henner Henkel. The content introduces each player and shows the meeting schedule (all in Japanese). The Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japanese (also known as the Axis alliance) or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War 2 against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and Japan. The wooden tennis racket is a very unusual pre-war 'Taiikudo Athletic Goods-Tokyo" lawn tennis racket with spoon-shaped, flat-topped head - with just 16 vertical and 16 lateral strings, resulting in a very wide stringing pattern. Comes c/w 'BAG Aluminium Press overall (VG). Together with an Edwin Trim postcard of Japanese Davis Cup player Zenzo Shimidzu as well as an accompanying card autographed by him in the 1920s. Shimidzu was the first Japanese player to reach the highest class and rose to prominence after getting to within two points of beating Bill Tilden, and for reaching the All-Comers' singles final at Wimbledon in 1920. (5)