Rear Admiral Tadashi Maeda (前田 精, Maeda Tadashi; 3 March 1898 – 13 December 1977) was a high-ranking Imperial Japanese…
Rear Admiral Tadashi Maeda (前田 精, Maeda Tadashi; 3 March 1898 – 13 December 1977) was a high-ranking Imperial Japanese Navy officer during the Pacific War. He was a key supporter of the Indonesian independence movement, especially in the last months of the Japanese occupation of Indonesia between late 1944 and August 1945. Prior to the war, Maeda was assigned to adjutant, liaison, and intelligence roles in the navy, with his task including establishing a Japanese network in the Dutch East Indies. Stationed in Batavia after the invasion, he sponsored an Indonesian nationalist school and built up relations with Indonesian nationalists. Maeda played a key role in the proclamation of Indonesian independence, with many key events in its leadup taking place in his house and with his involvement. He left the navy after the war, and engaged in Japanese oil ventures in Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia has publicly acknowledged his role in securing the country's independence.
Famous Japanese People: Military Officer
Military Officer: 422 people
Yoshitatsu Yasuda (安田義達, Yasuda Yoshitatsu; March 1, 1898 - January 2, 1943) was a Japanese naval officer. He was known…
Yoshitatsu Yasuda (安田義達, Yasuda Yoshitatsu; March 1, 1898 - January 2, 1943) was a Japanese naval officer. He was known as an authority on amphibious warfare, alongside Tada Minoru, and is remembered as a representative figure of the Imperial Japanese Navy. He posthumously received a promotion of two ranks to Vice Admiral during the Pacific War.
Takeo Imai (今井 武夫; 23 February 1898 – 12 June 1982) was a Japanese Major General of the China Expeditionary Army who…
Takeo Imai (今井 武夫; 23 February 1898 – 12 June 1982) was a Japanese Major General of the China Expeditionary Army who was born in Nagano Prefecture. He played a notable role during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II. During the Bataan Death March, he freed prisoners as the orders violated his Bushido code. He served as a Vice-Chief of the General Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, as well as worked for the Japanese embassy in Beiping following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. In this role he met with Chinese officers at Chichiang to negotiate surrender. Taking on important military roles in China and the Philippines, he was a significant actor throughout Japan's invasion of China and held an important role in negotiating and maintaining peace between the two countries. He was particularly influential in his responsibility of postwar processing and allowing for smooth demobilization transitions. He retired in 1947.
Kunio Nakagawa (中川 州男, Nakagawa Kunio; 23 January 1898 – 24 November 1944) was the commander of Japanese forces which…
Kunio Nakagawa (中川 州男, Nakagawa Kunio; 23 January 1898 – 24 November 1944) was the commander of Japanese forces which defended the island of Peleliu in the Battle of Peleliu which took place from the 15th of September to the 27th of November,1944. He inflicted heavy losses on attacking U.S. Marines and held Peleliu Island for almost three months. On the evening of the 24th of November, after the battle was lost, he performed seppuku (ritual suicide) in the tradition of Japanese samurai warriors. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general.
Jōichirō Sanada (真田 穣一郎, Sanada Jōichirō; November 21, 1897 – August 3, 1957) was a major general in the Imperial…
Jōichirō Sanada (真田 穣一郎, Sanada Jōichirō; November 21, 1897 – August 3, 1957) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.
Hideo Iwakuro (岩畔 豪雄, Iwakuro Hideo; 10 October 1897 – 22 November 1970) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese…
Hideo Iwakuro (岩畔 豪雄, Iwakuro Hideo; 10 October 1897 – 22 November 1970) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He is also known as one of the founders of the Kyoto Sangyo University.
Tōyō Mitsunobu (光延 東洋, Mitsunobu Tōyō; 9 October 1897 – 8 June 1944) was a captain of the Imperial Japanese Navy.…
Tōyō Mitsunobu (光延 東洋, Mitsunobu Tōyō; 9 October 1897 – 8 June 1944) was a captain of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Mitunobu worked in the Japanese naval command in China.
Kōsaku Aruga (有賀 幸作, Aruga Kōsaku; August 21, 1897 – April 7, 1945), was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Kōsaku Aruga (有賀 幸作, Aruga Kōsaku; August 21, 1897 – April 7, 1945), was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He commanded the battleship Yamato during its final mission, Operation Ten-Go.
Tokutarō Sakurai (桜井徳太郎, Sakurai Tokutarō; 21 June 1897 – 28 December 1980) was a major general in the Imperial…
Tokutarō Sakurai (桜井徳太郎, Sakurai Tokutarō; 21 June 1897 – 28 December 1980) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding Japanese ground forces in Burma during World War II.
Count Muneyoshi Tokugawa (徳川 宗敬, Tokugawa Muneyoshi; 31 May 1897 – 1 May 1989) was a Japanese forester, politician and…
Count Muneyoshi Tokugawa (徳川 宗敬, Tokugawa Muneyoshi; 31 May 1897 – 1 May 1989) was a Japanese forester, politician and Shintō priest. His court rank was Junior Third Rank.
Suzuki Keiji (鈴木敬司, Keiji Suzuki; February 6, 1897 – September 20, 1967) was a Japanese army intelligence officer…
Suzuki Keiji (鈴木敬司, Keiji Suzuki; February 6, 1897 – September 20, 1967) was a Japanese army intelligence officer during the Second World War. Operating primarily in Burma, he helped form the Burma Independence Army and was an advocate for Burmese independence, described as a "Japanese Lawrence of Arabia". The Burmese refererred to him by the nom de guerre Bo Mogyo, meaning "Thunderbolt Commander".
Captain Eikichi Kato (加藤 榮吉, Katō Eikichi; January 10, 1897 – August 1, 1946) was a senior officer in the Imperial…
Captain Eikichi Kato (加藤 榮吉, Katō Eikichi; January 10, 1897 – August 1, 1946) was a senior officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Kato was the senior officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy forces on the Bonis Peninsula and Buka Island during the latter stages of World War II. Lieutenant Kawanishi Shotaro was appointed by Captain Kato as the envoy to meet Australian officers on 14 September 1945 off Soraken Peninsula, to discuss the surrender of the Imperial Japanese Navy forces on the Bonis Peninsula and Buka Island. Captain Kato was charged of the murder of seven civilian inhabitants of North Bougainville between September 1943 and October 1945, where he pleaded not guilty. After the war, Kato was convicted of war crimes by an Australian military court and executed by hanging in Rabaul in 1946.
Rear Admiral Chiaki Matsuda (松田千秋, Matsuda Chiaki; 29 September 1896 – 6 November 1995) was an admiral in the Imperial…
Rear Admiral Chiaki Matsuda (松田千秋, Matsuda Chiaki; 29 September 1896 – 6 November 1995) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the third captain of the Yamato.
Masazumi Inada (稲田 正純, Inada Masazumi; 27 August 1896 – 24 January 1986) was a lieutenant general in the Japanese…
Masazumi Inada (稲田 正純, Inada Masazumi; 27 August 1896 – 24 January 1986) was a lieutenant general in the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.
Toshihira Inoguchi (猪口 敏平, Inoguchi Toshihira; 11 August 1896 – 24 October 1944) was a Japanese vice-admiral and served…
Toshihira Inoguchi (猪口 敏平, Inoguchi Toshihira; 11 August 1896 – 24 October 1944) was a Japanese vice-admiral and served as the commander of the Yamato-Class Battleship Musashi during World War II until his death.
Keizō Komura (古村 啓蔵, Komura Keizō; 20 July 1896 – 7 February 1978) was a Rear Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Keizō Komura (古村 啓蔵, Komura Keizō; 20 July 1896 – 7 February 1978) was a Rear Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Nobuzo Tohmatsu (等松 農夫蔵, Tōmatsu Nobuzō; 25 April 1896 – 28 December 1980) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Nobuzo Tohmatsu (等松 農夫蔵, Tōmatsu Nobuzō; 25 April 1896 – 28 December 1980) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II who went on to become an accountant and a namesake of the global auditing firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, today the world's largest professional services company.
Hankyu Sasaki (佐々木 半九, 1 January 1896 – 6 October 1971) was an Imperial Japanese Navy admiral. During World War II he…
Hankyu Sasaki (佐々木 半九, 1 January 1896 – 6 October 1971) was an Imperial Japanese Navy admiral. During World War II he was force commander of the midget submarines that attacked Pearl Harbor and Sydney Harbour.
Masafumi Arima (有馬 正文, Arima Masafumi; 25 September 1895 – 15 October 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Masafumi Arima (有馬 正文, Arima Masafumi; 25 September 1895 – 15 October 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. An experienced aviator, he is sometimes credited with being the first to use the kamikaze attack, although official accounts may have been invented for propaganda purposes. Arima personally led an air attack against United States Navy Task Force 38 in the Formosa Air Battle and was killed in action.
Sanji Iwabuchi (岩淵 三次, Iwabuchi Sanji; 2 March 1895 – 26 February 1945) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Sanji Iwabuchi (岩淵 三次, Iwabuchi Sanji; 2 March 1895 – 26 February 1945) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific War of World War II. He committed suicide after facing imminent defeat during the Battle of Manila. Units under his command committed the Manila massacre.
Tsunamasa Shidei (四手井 綱正, Shidei Tsunamasa; 27 January 1895 – 18 August 1945) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial…
Tsunamasa Shidei (四手井 綱正, Shidei Tsunamasa; 27 January 1895 – 18 August 1945) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.
Isamu Chō (長 勇, Chō Isamu; 19 January 1895 – 22 June 1945) was a Japanese officer in the Imperial Japanese Army known…
Isamu Chō (長 勇, Chō Isamu; 19 January 1895 – 22 June 1945) was a Japanese officer in the Imperial Japanese Army known for his support of ultranationalist politics and involvement in a number of attempted coup d'états in pre-World War II Japan.
Masaji Kitano (北野 政次, Kitano Masaji; July 14, 1894 – May 17, 1986) was a Japanese doctor, medical physician…
Masaji Kitano (北野 政次, Kitano Masaji; July 14, 1894 – May 17, 1986) was a Japanese doctor, medical physician, microbiologist and a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was the second commander of Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel.
Kitsuju Ayabe (綾部 橘樹, Ayabe Kitsuju; 18 April 1894 – 14 February 1980) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army…
Kitsuju Ayabe (綾部 橘樹, Ayabe Kitsuju; 18 April 1894 – 14 February 1980) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Keiji Shibazaki (柴崎 恵次, Shibazaki Keiji; 9 April 1894 – 20 November 1943) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Keiji Shibazaki (柴崎 恵次, Shibazaki Keiji; 9 April 1894 – 20 November 1943) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was the commander of the Japanese garrison on the island of Betio of the Tarawa atoll during World War II. Shibazaki and all his senior officers were killed by naval gunfire on the first day of the Battle of Tarawa. He was posthumously promoted to vice-admiral.
Ryūsaku Yanagimoto (柳本 柳作, Yanagimoto Ryūsaku; 9 January 1894 – 5 June 1942) was captain of the Japanese aircraft…
Ryūsaku Yanagimoto (柳本 柳作, Yanagimoto Ryūsaku; 9 January 1894 – 5 June 1942) was captain of the Japanese aircraft carrier Sōryū of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Tadashi Hanaya (花谷正, Hanaya Tadashi; 5 January 1894 – 28 August 1957) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army…
Tadashi Hanaya (花谷正, Hanaya Tadashi; 5 January 1894 – 28 August 1957) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding Japanese ground forces in Burma during World War II.
Seiji Naruse (成瀬 正二, Naruse Seiji; December 26, 1893 – January 29, 1960) was a Japanese rear-admiral and engineer. He…
Seiji Naruse (成瀬 正二, Naruse Seiji; December 26, 1893 – January 29, 1960) was a Japanese rear-admiral and engineer. He was the only person who was posted as a director of the Torpedo Development Division in Yokosuka Naval District of Imperial Japanese Navy. He and his team designed and developed the Type 91 torpedo used in naval warfare by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Jisaku Okada (岡田 次作, Okada Jisaku; 1893 – June 4, 1942) was an Imperial Japanese Navy captain. During his career he was…
Jisaku Okada (岡田 次作, Okada Jisaku; 1893 – June 4, 1942) was an Imperial Japanese Navy captain. During his career he was the commander of the seaplane tender Notoro and aircraft carrier Ryūjō. A couple of months before the start of the Second World War he was given the command of the Kaga. He was killed in action during the Battle of Midway when the ship was attacked by American dive bombers. Okada was posthumously promoted to rear admiral.
Sōkichi Takagi (高木 惣吉, Takagi Sōkichi; 9 August 1893 – 27 July 1979) was a Japanese admiral and political figure…
Sōkichi Takagi (高木 惣吉, Takagi Sōkichi; 9 August 1893 – 27 July 1979) was a Japanese admiral and political figure opposed to the Tōjō government during World War II. Takagi's efforts to undermine the Japanese wartime government have been compared with the efforts of German Admiral Wilhelm Canaris to undermine the Nazi government, and contributed to the end of the war.
Tomiji Koyanagi (小柳 富次, Koyanagi Tomiji; 16 July 1893 – 6 August 1978), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Tomiji Koyanagi (小柳 富次, Koyanagi Tomiji; 16 July 1893 – 6 August 1978), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Ryūkichi Tanaka (田中 隆吉, Tanaka Ryūkichi; 9 July 1893 – 5 June 1972) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army…
Ryūkichi Tanaka (田中 隆吉, Tanaka Ryūkichi; 9 July 1893 – 5 June 1972) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Baron Matsuji Ijuin (伊集院 松治, Ijūin Matsuji; 21 April 1893 – 24 May 1944) was a commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Baron Matsuji Ijuin (伊集院 松治, Ijūin Matsuji; 21 April 1893 – 24 May 1944) was a commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, who was promoted posthumously to vice admiral after being killed in action in combat off Saipan.
Shiro Makino (牧野 四郎, Makino Shirō; April 18, 1893 – August 10, 1945) was a Japanese general, who commanded the 16th…
Shiro Makino (牧野 四郎, Makino Shirō; April 18, 1893 – August 10, 1945) was a Japanese general, who commanded the 16th Division, an infantry division, in the Battle of Leyte. With only 620 men of the division surviving, he took responsibility for the annihilation of the division and committed suicide after the battle.
Kōtoku Satō (佐藤 幸徳, Satō Kōtoku; March 5, 1893 – February 26, 1959) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese…
Kōtoku Satō (佐藤 幸徳, Satō Kōtoku; March 5, 1893 – February 26, 1959) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.
Tadashi Sumiyoshi (住吉 正, Sumiyoshi Tadashi; February 10, 1893 – March 24, 1976) was a major general in the Imperial…
Tadashi Sumiyoshi (住吉 正, Sumiyoshi Tadashi; February 10, 1893 – March 24, 1976) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific campaign in World War II.
Takaji Wachi (和知 鷹二, Wachi Takaji; 1 February 1893 – 30 October 1978) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese…
Takaji Wachi (和知 鷹二, Wachi Takaji; 1 February 1893 – 30 October 1978) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
Senda Sadasue (千田 貞季, Sadasue Senda; 16 December 1892 – 8 March 1945) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese…
Senda Sadasue (千田 貞季, Sadasue Senda; 16 December 1892 – 8 March 1945) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. He died in combat during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Akira Mutō (武藤 章, Mutō Akira; 15 December 1892 – 23 December 1948) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during…
Akira Mutō (武藤 章, Mutō Akira; 15 December 1892 – 23 December 1948) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He was convicted of war crimes and was executed by hanging. Mutō was implicated in both the Nanjing Massacre and the Manila massacre.
Kiyotake Kawaguchi (川口 清健, Kawaguchi Kiyotake; 3 December 1892 – 16 May 1961) was a general in the Imperial Japanese…
Kiyotake Kawaguchi (川口 清健, Kawaguchi Kiyotake; 3 December 1892 – 16 May 1961) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Sadayoshi Yamada (山田 定義, Yamada Sadayoshi; 26 November 1892 – 16 November 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial…
Sadayoshi Yamada (山田 定義, Yamada Sadayoshi; 26 November 1892 – 16 November 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Sentarō Ōmori (大森 仙太郎, Ōmori Sentarō; 3 October 1892 – 24 December 1974), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Sentarō Ōmori (大森 仙太郎, Ōmori Sentarō; 3 October 1892 – 24 December 1974), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Ryūnosuke Kusaka (草鹿 龍之介, Kusaka Ryūnosuke; 25 September 1893 – 23 November 1971) was an admiral in the Imperial…
Ryūnosuke Kusaka (草鹿 龍之介, Kusaka Ryūnosuke; 25 September 1893 – 23 November 1971) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II who served as Chief of Staff of the Combined Fleet. Fellow Admiral Jinichi Kusaka was his cousin. Kusaka was also the 4th Headmaster of Ittō Shōden Mutō-ryū Kenjutsu, a famous school of swordsmanship founded by Yamaoka Tesshū.
Tamon Yamaguchi (山口 多聞, Yamaguchi Tamon; 17 August 1892 – 5 June 1942) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Tamon Yamaguchi (山口 多聞, Yamaguchi Tamon; 17 August 1892 – 5 June 1942) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific War during World War II. Yamaguchi's carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently participated in the Battle of Midway, where he was killed in action, choosing to go down with the aircraft carrier Hiryū when she was scuttled after being crippled by aircraft from USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown.
Yumio Nasu (那須 弓雄, Nasu Yumio; June 27, 1892 – October 26, 1942) was a major general and a division commander in the…
Yumio Nasu (那須 弓雄, Nasu Yumio; June 27, 1892 – October 26, 1942) was a major general and a division commander in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II.
Shirō Ishii (Japanese: 石井 四郎, Hepburn: Ishii Shirō; [iɕiː ɕiɾoː]; 25 June 1892 – 9 October 1959) was a Japanese…
Shirō Ishii (Japanese: 石井 四郎, Hepburn: Ishii Shirō; [iɕiː ɕiɾoː]; 25 June 1892 – 9 October 1959) was a Japanese biological weapons specialist, microbiologist and army medical officer who served as the director of Unit 731, the largest biological warfare and chemical warfare unit of the Imperial Japanese Army. Ishii led the development and application of biological weapons at Unit 731 in the puppet state of Manchukuo during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945. This included the Battle of Changde, the Kaimingjie germ weapon attack, and the planned Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night biological attack against the United States, which intended to spread a weaponized bubonic plague. Ishii and his colleagues also engaged in human experimentation, resulting in the deaths of thousands of subjects, most of them civilians or prisoners of war. Ishii was later granted immunity in the International Military Tribunal for the Far East by the United States government in exchange for information and research for the U.S. biological warfare program.
Masao Nakamura (中村 正雄, Nakamura Masao; 15 May 1892 – 25 December 1939) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese…
Masao Nakamura (中村 正雄, Nakamura Masao; 15 May 1892 – 25 December 1939) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War. A native of Ishikawa Prefecture, Nakamura graduated from the 25th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1913 and from the 32nd class of the Army Staff College in 1920. He was assigned as a military attaché to France from 1924 to 1927 and later served as a resident officer in Italy from 1933-1934. From 1936-1938, Nakamura served as Chief of Staff of the IJA 12th Division. He was promoted to major general in 1939 and commanded the IJA 21st Infantry Brigade of the 5th Division during the Battle of South Guangxi in 1939. During the battle, his brigade was mauled, and Nakamura was killed in action at the Battle of Kunlun Pass. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general.
Shigeyoshi Miwa (三輪 茂義, Miwa Shigeyoshi; May 15, 1892 – February 27, 1959) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Shigeyoshi Miwa (三輪 茂義, Miwa Shigeyoshi; May 15, 1892 – February 27, 1959) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He commanded the Japanese submarine forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Raizō Tanaka (田中 頼三, Tanaka Raizō; 27 April 1892 – 9 July 1969) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)…
Raizō Tanaka (田中 頼三, Tanaka Raizō; 27 April 1892 – 9 July 1969) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during most of World War II. A specialist in the heavy torpedoes that were carried by all the destroyers and cruisers of the IJN, Tanaka mainly commanded destroyer squadrons, with a cruiser or two attached, and he was the primary leader of the "Tokyo Express" reinforcement and resupply shipments during the long campaign for the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific Ocean. From the Americans, Tanaka acquired the nickname of "Tenacious Tanaka" for his stalwart opposition.
Kōsō Abe (阿部 孝壮, Abe Kōsō; March 24, 1892 – June 19, 1947) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World…
Kōsō Abe (阿部 孝壮, Abe Kōsō; March 24, 1892 – June 19, 1947) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.