North and slightly east of Australia is Papua New Guinea, passed from German to Australian control by the Treaty of Versailles after WWI. On its New Britain island lies the port city of Rabaul, taken by the Japanese in January 1942 both to keep it out of Allied hands and to serve as an operational base for further exploits in the region. In February and March 1942, US and Australian bombers attacked with little success; the Allies’ major effort to take over Rabaul (“New Britain Campaign”) began late in 1943.

Musically, EP7's first twenty minutes, and last three, all move steadily along in duple meter in a narrow tempo range of about 100–120 beats per minute. The opening segment is exclusively from the Japanese perspective, and a notable feature of the remainder of the soundtrack is a full-scale Bennett concert march beginning at 11:14.

The first 7:50 of EP7 is entirely Japan-sourced footage: “Proud and confident after her shattering naval victories at the outbreak of war, Japan spills over her legitimate boundaries, pouring supplies and manpower into overseas bases to protect her new empire and defy the allies.” Japan, knowing the strategic value of Rabaul, wrested it from a small Australian garrison in January–February 1942. Following a major Japanese buildup, Rabaul featured several airfields and housed some 100,000 troops. Allied strategy was to gradually encircle it—“Rings around Rabaul”—via invasions of Rendova, Bougainville, and other surrounding Japanese installations. In July–August 1943, the Allies vanquished Japan from its Munda airfield on the island of New Georgia, quickly making it over into a viable Allied airfield via the efforts of the US Navy's Construction Battalions, the “Seabees.”

Musically, Part One contains all but one of Bennett's numbered “J-tunes,” often in counterpoint. At 1:14, as Japan's military leaders confer, there's an EP7-only pentatonic melody and accompaniment [A]. Japanese troops are on the march at 1:36 somewhere in their homeland, accompanied by J-5b as civilian bystanders cheer them. The soldiers board troopships at 1:49 to [B], with hints of J-5a that foreshadow the tune's arrival at 2:05. Then at 2:12 we hear J-3: “All Japan is dedicated to Koda-Ha, ‘the way of the Emperor’: Hirohito, son of heaven.” Officers and visiting officials gather dockside to review the troops, and then depart at 2:32.