Masayuki Imai (今井 雅之, Imai Masayuki; 21 April 1961 – 28 May 2015) was a Japanese playwright and actor.
Japanese people database × places of origin
Famous Japanese People: Military Officer
Military Officer: 422 people
Yukio Araki (荒木 幸雄, Araki Yukio; March 10, 1928 – May 27, 1945) was a Japanese aviator of the Imperial Japanese Army…
Yukio Araki (荒木 幸雄, Araki Yukio; March 10, 1928 – May 27, 1945) was a Japanese aviator of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. As a kamikaze pilot and member of the 72nd Shinbu Squadron, Araki died on May 27, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa when he deliberately crashed his bomb-laden Mitsubishi Ki-51 into the USS Braine. It is speculated that Araki and one other pilot hit and damaged the ship, killing 66 of its crew. At 17, Araki was one of the youngest kamikaze pilots.
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Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who…
Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who, as the Army Chief of Staff, played a decisive role in the May 16 coup and was the first chairman of the interim Supreme Council for National Reconstruction for a short time until his imprisonment.
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Kiyoshi Ogawa (小川 清, Ogawa Kiyoshi; October 23, 1922 – May 11, 1945) was a Japanese naval aviator ensign (少尉) of the…
Kiyoshi Ogawa (小川 清, Ogawa Kiyoshi; October 23, 1922 – May 11, 1945) was a Japanese naval aviator ensign (少尉) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As a kamikaze pilot, Ensign Ogawa's final action took place on May 11, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa. Piloting a bomb-laden Mitsubishi Zero fighter during Operation Kikusui No. 6, Ogawa flew through American anti-aircraft fire and struck the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill, less than one minute after his flight leader, sub-lieutenant Seizō Yasunori, crashed into the ship. Ogawa dropped a 250-kilogram (551 lb) bomb, never pulled out of the dive, and crashed deliberately into the flight deck near the control tower of the aircraft carrier. The bomb penetrated Bunker Hill's flight deck and exploded. Gasoline fires flamed up and several explosions took place when re-armed and re-fueled planes on deck exploded and caught fire. 393 American sailors died with Yasunori and Ogawa, 264 were wounded, while the carrier was under repair for the remainder of the war.
🎓 Waseda University🏫 Takasaki High School📅 Born October 23🎂 Born 1922📍 From Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture💼 Military Officer
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Ryōji Uehara (上原良司, Uehara Ryōji; 27 September 1922 – 11 May 1945) was a flight captain of the Imperial Japanese Army…
Ryōji Uehara (上原良司, Uehara Ryōji; 27 September 1922 – 11 May 1945) was a flight captain of the Imperial Japanese Army and was killed in action as a kamikaze pilot. Uehara was born in what is now the town of Ikeda, Nagano. He entered the Department of Economics at Keio University in 1942 and joined the IJA 50th Regiment in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, later that same year. He was a member of the 56th Shinmu squadron (第56振武隊) of the IJA Air Corps when he carried out his final mission against the US carrier fleet near Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture on 11 May 1945. He was 22 years old. His letter, written to his parents the night before his final mission, was published after the war and it is still regarded as a masterpiece of wartime literary works in Japan.
Hiroo Onoda (Japanese: 小野田 寛郎, Hepburn: Onoda Hiroo; IPA: [o̞no̞da̠ çiɾo̞ː]) (19 March 1922 – 16 January 2014) was a…
Hiroo Onoda (Japanese: 小野田 寛郎, Hepburn: Onoda Hiroo; IPA: [o̞no̞da̠ çiɾo̞ː]) (19 March 1922 – 16 January 2014) was a Japanese soldier who served as a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. One of the last Japanese holdouts, Onoda continued fighting for nearly 29 years after the war's end in 1945, carrying out guerrilla warfare on Lubang Island in the Philippines until 1974. Onoda initially held out with three other soldiers. One surrendered in 1950, and two were killed, one in 1954 and one in 1972. The men did not believe flyers and letters from their families stating that the war was over. They survived on wild fruits, game, and stolen rice, and occasionally engaged in shootouts (using their service rifles) with locals and police. Onoda was contacted in the jungles of Lubang by Japanese adventurer Norio Suzuki in 1974 but still refused to surrender until he was formally relieved of duty by his former commanding officer, Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, who flew from Japan to the island to issue the order. Onoda surrendered on 10 March 1974 and received a hero's welcome when he returned to Japan. That year, he wrote and published an autobiography and later moved to Brazil, where he became a cattle rancher. In 1984, Onoda returned to Japan, where he died in 2014 at the age of 91.
🏫 Kainan High School📅 Born March 19🎂 Born 1922📍 From Kainan, Wakayama💼 Military Officer💼 Company President・Entrepreneur
Mitsunobu Nakahara (Japanese: 中原光信, 1922 – 12 July 2003) was a soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army and the Viet Minh.…
Mitsunobu Nakahara (Japanese: 中原光信, 1922 – 12 July 2003) was a soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army and the Viet Minh. He was a second lieutenant in the army and an intelligence officer. At the end of the war, he belonged to the 34th Independent Mixed Brigade of the Army. He participated in the First Indochina War as an instructor at Quang Ngai Army Military Academy. His Vietnamese name is Nguyễn Minh Ngọc.
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Goro Takeda (竹田 五郎) (24 October 1921 – 12 February 2020) was a Japanese military officer and military commentator who…
Goro Takeda (竹田 五郎) (24 October 1921 – 12 February 2020) was a Japanese military officer and military commentator who served in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service during the Second World War reaching the rank of captain. In 1951 Takeda joined the newly formed National Police Reserve staying on when it was reorganized into the paramilitary National Safety Force in 1952 and again in 1954 when the NSF was absorbed into the new Japan Self-Defense Force, with Takeda joining the Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). Over the course of his career in the JASDF Takeda held various command and staff positions including Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman of the Joint Staff Council of the Japan Self-Defense Force until his retirement in 1981.
🏫 Fukuoka Prefectural Shuyukan High School🎂 Born 1921📍 From Fukuoka Prefecture💼 Military Officer💼 Self-Defense Force Officer💼 Critic
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Naoshi Kanno (菅野 直; 23 September 1921 – 1 August 1945) was a Japanese fighter ace in World War II. He is credited with…
Naoshi Kanno (菅野 直; 23 September 1921 – 1 August 1945) was a Japanese fighter ace in World War II. He is credited with 25 confirmed kills. Piloting his Shiden-Kai, which had yellow stripes painted on its fuselage, he invented the "anti-large bomber tactic" of flipping over and diving headfirst vertically into the enemy aircraft from an altitude of more than 1,000 meters ahead of it, attacking it from directly above. So, he was feared by the pilots of large fighter planes of the US military and was nicknamed the "Yellow Fighter."
Yukio Seki (関 行男, Seki Yukio; August 29, 1921 – October 25, 1944) was a Japanese naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese…
Yukio Seki (関 行男, Seki Yukio; August 29, 1921 – October 25, 1944) was a Japanese naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As a kamikaze pilot, Lieutenant Seki led one of the three fighter groups of the second official kamikaze attack in World War II (the first official attack was an unsuccessful attempt led by Yoshiyasu Kunō on October 21, 1944). Seki's final action took place on October 25, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He led a unit of five bomb-armed Mitsubishi Zero fighters, crash-diving his plane deliberately into USS St. Lo's flight deck, being the first kamikazes to sink an enemy ship.
🎓 Imperial Japanese Naval Academy🏫 Saijo High School📅 Born August 29🎂 Born 1921📍 From Saijō, Ehime💼 Military Officer
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Teruhiko Kobayashi (小林 照彦, Kobayashi Teruhiko, 17 November 1920 – 4 June 1957) was a Japanese fighter pilot during…
Teruhiko Kobayashi (小林 照彦, Kobayashi Teruhiko, 17 November 1920 – 4 June 1957) was a Japanese fighter pilot during World War II and a flying ace of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. He began his flying career as a bomber pilot, but then rose to fame when he became the leader of the 244th Sentai, making him the youngest sentai leader in the IJAAF when he took command in November 1944. He was described as an excellent and charismatic leader by his men and under his command the 244th would become the most famous and successful aerial defense unit in Japan. While leading this unit he achieved five kills (three Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and two F6F "Hellcats") in the aerial defense of the Japanese Home Islands. He would survive the war and in 1954 join the newly created Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
Chang Sung-hwan (Korean: 장성환; Hanja: 張盛煥; October 27, 1920 – January 4, 2015) was a South Korean air force lieutenant…
Chang Sung-hwan (Korean: 장성환; Hanja: 張盛煥; October 27, 1920 – January 4, 2015) was a South Korean air force lieutenant general, government minister and diplomat.
Flight Petty Officer Third Class Hajime Toyoshima (豊嶋 一, Toyoshima Hajime; 29 March 1920 – 5 August 1944) was a…
Flight Petty Officer Third Class Hajime Toyoshima (豊嶋 一, Toyoshima Hajime; 29 March 1920 – 5 August 1944) was a Japanese airman in World War II. His A6M Zero was the first of that type to be recovered relatively intact on Allied territory (after those recovered after the attack on Pearl Harbor) when he crash landed on Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia. Toyoshima was the first Japanese prisoner of war to be captured in Australia. In August 1944, while a POW in rural New South Wales, Toyoshima was one of the instigators of the Cowra breakout, sounding a bugle to signal the commencement of the escape, and died during the fight.
Toshio Ōta (太田 敏夫, Ōta Toshio; 20 March 1919 – 21 October 1942) was a World War II Japanese fighter ace. In early 1942…
Toshio Ōta (太田 敏夫, Ōta Toshio; 20 March 1919 – 21 October 1942) was a World War II Japanese fighter ace. In early 1942, at the age of 22, he flew a Mitsubishi A6M Zero with the Lae-based Tainan Air Group. There the young petty officer, 1st class became one of the so-called "Clean-up Trio" of Japanese aces, along with his squadron mates Saburo Sakai and Hiroyoshi Nishizawa. Ōta's first confirmed kill, of a U.S. Army Air Force P-40E Warhawk, was over New Guinea on April 11, 1942. Transferred to Rabaul in August, Ōta was killed in a dogfight with U.S. Marine Corps Grumman F4F Wildcats over Guadalcanal on October 21, shortly after shooting down a Wildcat himself. His victorious opponent is believed to be 1st Lt. Frank C. Drury of VMF-212. Ōta is credited with 34 victories, making him the Imperial Japanese Navy's fourth-ranking ace. In his autobiography, Sakai described Ōta as outgoing and amiable, in contrast to the more reserved Nishizawa, and said he would have been "more at home in a nightclub" than in Lae.
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Park Choong-hoon (Korean: 박충훈; 19 January 1919 – 16 March 2001) was a South Korean politician who served as the acting…
Park Choong-hoon (Korean: 박충훈; 19 January 1919 – 16 March 2001) was a South Korean politician who served as the acting prime minister and acting president of South Korea in 1980.
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Ryō Kurusu (来栖 良, Kurusu Ryō; January 8, 1919 – February 17, 1945) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. He is…
Ryō Kurusu (来栖 良, Kurusu Ryō; January 8, 1919 – February 17, 1945) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. He is noted for being the only Eurasian (American-Japanese Hāfu) person to be commemorated in Japan's Yasukuni Shrine.
🎓 Yokohama National University🏫 Gyosei Junior and Senior High School📅 Born January 8🎂 Born 1919💼 Military Officer
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Kazuo Sakamaki (酒巻 和男, Sakamaki Kazuo; November 8, 1918 – November 29, 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who became…
Kazuo Sakamaki (酒巻 和男, Sakamaki Kazuo; November 8, 1918 – November 29, 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who became the first prisoner of war of World War II to be captured by U.S. forces.
🎓 Imperial Japanese Naval Academy🏫 Wakimachi High School📅 Born November 8🎂 Born 1918📍 From Awa, Tokushima💼 Military Officer
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Kazuo Tsunoda (角田 和男, Tsunoda Kazuo; October 11, 1918 – February 14, 2013) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the…
Kazuo Tsunoda (角田 和男, Tsunoda Kazuo; October 11, 1918 – February 14, 2013) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific Campaign of World War II. In his combat career, Tsunoda was officially credited with destroying nine enemy aircraft. From May 1942 to May 1943, Tsunoda participated in the New Guinea Campaign, Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal Campaigns as a member of the 2nd Air Group and 582 Air Group. During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 14 November 1942, Tsunoda was shot down near the Russell Islands while covering an army transport convoy delivering troops to Guadalcanal. Tsunoda was rescued by the destroyer Amagiri. In November 1944, while stationed at Cebu in the Philippines, Tsunoda volunteered as a kamikaze pilot. He was unable, however, to find any enemy ships to attack. Later, he escaped the Philippines to Japanese-occupied Taiwan after the American landings and survived the war. He was a farmer in Ibaraki prefecture after the war. He died on February 14, 2013.
Yasuhiko Kuroe (黒江 保彦, Kuroe Yasuhiko; 17 February 1918 – 5 December 1965) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese…
Yasuhiko Kuroe (黒江 保彦, Kuroe Yasuhiko; 17 February 1918 – 5 December 1965) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. He participated in various campaigns in Southeast Asia. He was officially credited with destroying 30 enemy aircraft. After the war he served in the new Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF).
🏫 Ijuin High School📅 Born February 17🎂 Born 1918📍 From Kagoshima Prefecture💼 Military Officer💼 Self-Defense Force Officer
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Lieutenant Commander Junichi Sasai (笹井 醇一, Sasai Jun'ichi; February 13, 1918 – August 26, 1942) was a Japanese naval…
Lieutenant Commander Junichi Sasai (笹井 醇一, Sasai Jun'ichi; February 13, 1918 – August 26, 1942) was a Japanese naval aviator and fighter ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sasai was killed leading his fighter squadron during an attack on Henderson Field during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
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Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe (渡邊 睦裕, Watanabe Mutsuhiro; 18 January 1918 – 1 April 2003), nicknamed "The Bird" by his…
Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe (渡邊 睦裕, Watanabe Mutsuhiro; 18 January 1918 – 1 April 2003), nicknamed "The Bird" by his prisoners, was a Japanese soldier who served in several prisoner-of-war camps during World War II. Infamous for his mistreatment of Allied prisoners of war, after the surrender of Japan in 1945 American occupational authorities classified Watanabe as a war criminal for his mistreatment and torture of POWs, but he managed to elude arrest and was never tried in court.
Tomoshige Tsunoda (津野田 知重, Tsunoda Tomoshige) was a major in the Imperial Japanese Military during World War II. He was…
Tomoshige Tsunoda (津野田 知重, Tsunoda Tomoshige) was a major in the Imperial Japanese Military during World War II. He was known for his failed assassination attempt on controversial Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.
Nagahisa Kuroda (黒田 長久 Kuroda Nagahisa, 23 November 1916 – 26 February 2009) was a Japanese ornithologist. He wrote…
Nagahisa Kuroda (黒田 長久 Kuroda Nagahisa, 23 November 1916 – 26 February 2009) was a Japanese ornithologist. He wrote several books on the birds of Japan and worked on Japanese encephalitis, the systematics of shearwaters, ducks and on avian anatomy. Kuroda was the son of Japanese ornithologist Nagamichi Kuroda. He studied at Gakushuin High School and Tokyo University before receiving his doctorate from Hokkaido University where he worked on the systematics of shearwaters under Toru Uchida. He worked briefly with the US Army 406th Medical General Laboratory, collaborating with Dr. Oliver L. Austin. He then moved to the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology where he worked for the rest of his life. He took a special interest in the seabirds. He was an able artist and a violoncello player. He also wrote on avian anatomy, including notes on the pectoral, and cervical muscles. A fossil species of shearwater Calonectris kurodai was named in his honour.
Ken Yuasa (湯浅 謙; October 23, 1916 – November 2, 2010) was a surgeon for the Japanese army who had been a member of the…
Ken Yuasa (湯浅 謙; October 23, 1916 – November 2, 2010) was a surgeon for the Japanese army who had been a member of the infamous Unit 731 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. During his service in Japanese-occupied China, he (along with at least 1000 other doctors and nurses) conducted vivisections on Chinese prisoners and civilians, and provided typhoid and dysentery bacilli to the Japanese army for use in biological warfare. Years after the war, he began to realize the extent of the atrocities he and others had committed and began writing, and speaking throughout Japan, about his experiences.
Saburō Sakai (坂井 三郎, Sakai Saburō; 25 August 1916 – 22 September 2000) was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace…
Saburō Sakai (坂井 三郎, Sakai Saburō; 25 August 1916 – 22 September 2000) was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace ("Gekitsui-O", 撃墜王) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sakai had 28 aerial victories, including shared ones, according to official Japanese records, though he and his ghostwriter Martin Caidin claimed much higher numbers.
🏫 Aoyama Gakuin High School📅 Born August 26🎂 Born 1916📍 From Saga(city), Saga Prefecture💼 Military Officer
Kaname Harada (原田 要; 11 August 1916 – 3 May 2016) was a Japanese flying ace of World War II. He was credited with…
Kaname Harada (原田 要; 11 August 1916 – 3 May 2016) was a Japanese flying ace of World War II. He was credited with shooting down as many as 19 Allied aircraft between late 1941 and when he was himself downed in October 1942. After recovering from the injuries sustained in this incident, Harada served as a flying instructor for the remainder of the war. Following the end of hostilities in 1945, Harada worked as a farmer, before founding a nursery for children in 1965 and later a kindergarten. He became an anti-war activist in 2001 and remained a prominent speaker until late in his life.
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Ayao Shirane (白根 斐夫, Shirane Ayao; August 7, 1916 – 24 November 1944) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Ayao Shirane (白根 斐夫, Shirane Ayao; August 7, 1916 – 24 November 1944) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War and was eventually shot down and killed over Leyte, Philippines on 24 November 1944. He was officially credited with destroying nine enemy aircraft.
Takahito, Prince Mikasa (三笠宮崇仁親王, Mikasa-no-miya Takahito Shinnō; 2 December 1915 – 27 October 2016) was a Japanese…
Takahito, Prince Mikasa (三笠宮崇仁親王, Mikasa-no-miya Takahito Shinnō; 2 December 1915 – 27 October 2016) was a Japanese prince, the youngest of the four sons of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako). He was their last surviving child. His eldest brother was Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). After serving as a junior cavalry officer in the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, Takahito embarked upon a post-war career as a scholar and part-time lecturer in Middle Eastern studies and Semitic languages. Prince Mikasa married Yuriko Takagi in 1941, and they had five children. Prince and Princess Mikasa outlived all three of their sons. With the death of his sister-in-law Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu, on 17 December 2004, Prince Mikasa became the oldest living member of the Imperial House of Japan. He remained active until a few months before his death at the age of 100. At the time of his death, Prince Mikasa was the oldest living royal.
🎓 Imperial Japanese Army Academy🏫 Gakushuin High School📅 Born December 2🎂 Born 1915💼 Imperial Family・Nobility (Kazoku)💼 Military Officer💼 Historical Studies
Kenji Okabe (岡部 健二, Okabe Kenji; 1915–September 1943) was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)…
Kenji Okabe (岡部 健二, Okabe Kenji; 1915–September 1943) was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Participating in many of the Pacific War battles and campaigns as a member of several units, Okabe was officially credited with destroying 15 enemy aircraft. Okabe was credited with shooting down eight enemy aircraft on 8 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea, the IJN's official record for the number of aircraft destroyed in a single encounter. He is famous for his strong opposition to the kamikaze attacks, rare in IJN at the time. Okabe was killed in action in September 1943 over Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
🏫 Fukuoka Prefectural Shuyukan High School📅 Born April 5🎂 Born 1915📍 From Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture💼 Military Officer💼 Pilot
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Hayao Kinugasa (衣笠駿雄, Kinugasa Hayao; February 2, 1915 – February 11, 2007) was a Japanese military officer who served…
Hayao Kinugasa (衣笠駿雄, Kinugasa Hayao; February 2, 1915 – February 11, 2007) was a Japanese military officer who served in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War and post-war joined up with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF) and its predecessor forces, namely the National Police Reserve (NPR). In the course of his career, he served in the JSDF's Joint Staff Council and was the first commander of the 1st Airborne Brigade before he retired to private life.
Isamu Kashiide (樫出 勇, Kashiide Isamu; February 1915 – May 2003) was a Japanese army aviator and flying ace known for…
Isamu Kashiide (樫出 勇, Kashiide Isamu; February 1915 – May 2003) was a Japanese army aviator and flying ace known for achieving the highest number of victories over Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. He claimed to have shot down 26 of the heavy bombers; 7 were later confirmed.
Yoshio Shiga (志賀 淑雄, Shiga Yoshio; 1914 – November 25, 2005) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the…
Yoshio Shiga (志賀 淑雄, Shiga Yoshio; 1914 – November 25, 2005) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. At the December 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Shiga led one of the aircraft carrier Kaga's fighter divisions during the first strike on American forces on Oahu. The number of his Zero fighter was AII-105. Shiga continued as a fighter division commander on Kaga until April 1942. In May 1942, then Lieutenant Shiga took command of aircraft carrier Jun'yō's fighter group, a post he held until December 1942. During this time, Shiga led the carrier's fighters in the battles of Dutch Harbor and the Santa Cruz Islands. In the latter battle, he attacked the US carriers, USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6), in which the former was later sunk, while Enterprise was heavily damaged. He subsequently commanded the aircraft carrier Hiyō's fighter group from December 1942 through January 1943 while the carrier was in port in Japan. After promotion to Lieutenant Commander, Shiga was assigned as air officer to the 343rd Air Group which was engaged in homeland defence in Japan, based at Matsuyama Air Base, in December 1944. He was projected to be Air Group Commander aboard the carrier Shinano during her brief time in service, but was not aboard for her fatal delivery voyage; he instead awaited the ship in Kure with the carrier's planned air group. He is famous for his strong objection against the tactic of suicide attack (Kamikaze) and saved the lives of many young Japanese pilots. After the war, Shiga became president of police equipment manufacturer Nobel Kōgyō and made many devices, such as bullet resistant vests, and expandable police batons for Japanese police. He died on 25 November 2005.
Sakae Ōba (大場 栄, Ōba Sakae; 21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War…
Sakae Ōba (大場 栄, Ōba Sakae; 21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He served in both China and in the Pacific campaign. After Japanese forces were defeated in the Battle of Saipan, he led a group of soldiers and civilians deep into the jungle to evade capture by Allied forces. Under Ōba's leadership, the group survived for over a year after the battle and finally surrendered in December 1945, three months after the war had ended. Following his return to Japan, he became a successful businessman and served on the city council of Gamagōri.
📅 Born March 21🎂 Born 1914📍 From Gamagōri, Aichi Prefecture💼 Military Officer💼 Company President・Entrepreneur💼 Politician・Legislator
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Yasuhira Kiyohara (清原 康平, married name Yasuhira Yukawa; January 14, 1914 – April 7, 2001) was a second lieutenant in…
Yasuhira Kiyohara (清原 康平, married name Yasuhira Yukawa; January 14, 1914 – April 7, 2001) was a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army who was sentenced to life imprisonment for directing a mob in the February 26 Incident of 1936. He was assigned to the 3rd Company, 3rd Infantry Regiment. He was granted amnesty in December 1941. After amnesty, he became the president of an airplane company. After the World War II, he was engaged in various enterprises related to Korea since he was acquainted with Korean President Park Chung-hee.
Sunao Sonoda (園田 直, Sonoda Sunao; 11 December 1913 – 2 April 1984) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Sunao Sonoda (園田 直, Sonoda Sunao; 11 December 1913 – 2 April 1984) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who served as minister for foreign affairs and minister of health and welfare. He was called "flying foreign minister" due to his active diplomacy in increasing the role of Japan when he was in office. He was one of the significant figures in normalizing the relations between Japan and China.
🎓 Osaka Dental University🏫 Amakusa High School📅 Born December 11🎂 Born 1913📍 From 天草島, Kumamoto Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator💼 Military Officer
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Hiromichi Shinohara (篠原 弘道, Shinohara Hiromichi; 1 August 1913 – 27 August 1939) was the highest-scoring fighter ace of…
Hiromichi Shinohara (篠原 弘道, Shinohara Hiromichi; 1 August 1913 – 27 August 1939) was the highest-scoring fighter ace of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAF). On 27 June 1939 he set a Japanese record by downing 11 planes on a single day. He was shot down and killed on 27 August 1939, having claimed 58 victories in only three months of combat. He scored all his aerial victories while flying a Nakajima Ki-27.
🎓 Imperial Japanese Army Academy🏫 Mito Daiichi High School📅 Born April 14🎂 Born 1913📍 From Ibaraki Prefecture💼 Military Officer
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Lieutenant Chitoshi Isozaki (磯崎 千利, Isozaki Chitoshi; 12 January 1913–20 June 1993) was an officer and ace fighter…
Lieutenant Chitoshi Isozaki (磯崎 千利, Isozaki Chitoshi; 12 January 1913–20 June 1993) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. In aerial combat over China, the Pacific, and Japan, he was officially credited with destroying twelve enemy aircraft. Isozaki survived World War II.
Sadamu Takahashi (高橋 定, Takahashi Sadamu; December 5, 1912 – December 25, 2015) was a dive bomber pilot officer in the…
Sadamu Takahashi (高橋 定, Takahashi Sadamu; December 5, 1912 – December 25, 2015) was a dive bomber pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He is best known for leading the Zuikaku's dive bomber squadron during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. He survived the war and later served in the Japan Self-Defense Forces retiring in 1970 with the rank of Vice Admiral.
🏫 Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Higashi High School📅 Born December 19🎂 Born 1912📍 From Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture💼 Military Officer💼 Self-Defense Force Officer
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Lt. Col. Masataka Ida (井田 正孝, Ida Masataka; 5 October 1912 – 6 February 2004) was a young Lieutenant Colonel in the…
Lt. Col. Masataka Ida (井田 正孝, Ida Masataka; 5 October 1912 – 6 February 2004) was a young Lieutenant Colonel in the Military Affairs Section of the Japanese Ministry of War, at the end of World War II. He had been stationed on Formosa (Taiwan), but was ordered back to Tokyo early in 1945. Along with Major Kenji Hatanaka and a few others, he was one of the chief conspirators in the Kyūjō incident to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Kantarō Suzuki; they wished to see the institution of martial law under War Minister Korechika Anami. The plan changed, however, into a plot, engineered by Major Kenji Hatanaka, to seize the Imperial Palace and prevent the broadcast of the Emperor's surrender speech. Lt. Col. Ida took part in this plot only briefly, trying to talk Hatanaka out of it by the end. Not many know about his attempted 'coup', which, although it failed, came dangerously close to lengthening the war, and altering the face of modern history. Ida saw the surrender as suicide on the part of the nation as a whole, and as an attempt by the Cabinet members to save their own lives, with no regard for the nation's honor. He decided that the only way for the military to regain its honor, and apologize to the Emperor for being defeated was for them to commit mass suicide by seppuku. Failing that, he intended to commit seppuku himself. Upon being asked by Major Hatanaka, the creator of the plot, to join him, he replied that the plot offered no guarantee of success, and might even lead to a civil war. He refused to join the plot, opting instead to continue his preparations for suicide. Ida was convinced for a time to help Hatanaka, by asking for support from Lt. Gen. Takeshi Mori of the 1st Imperial Guards Division, and from the Eastern District Army. As he explained his reasoning to Mori, he became more and more passionate about going through with the plot. However, after Mori's refusal to support the uprising, and subsequent murder, and Ida's inability to gain the support of the Eastern District Army, he decided that the plan could never succeed. He went to the Imperial Palace to warn Hatanaka that the Eastern District Army was on their way to stop him, and that he should give up. Ida felt that there was no longer a chance for success, and the only honorable end to it could come from suicide. Convinced he had done all he could to dissuade Hatanaka, Ida went to tell War Minister Korechika Anami of the occupation of the Palace. Told that Anami was preparing to commit seppuku, Ida informed the Minister of his intentions to do the same. Anami insisted that he live on, that it was more courageous to work for the rebuilding of Japan than to commit suicide. Anami killed himself, and Ida was placed under watch to make sure he did not do the same. Following Anami's orders, Ida survived through the end of the war. Ida was court-martialed for his part in the coup, but managed to convince the court that he had genuinely tried to undo his mistake through his attempt to convince Hatanaka to give up on the plot. Post-war, he would be provisionally barred from public office. He would later become the head of the general affairs department for Dentsu, Japan's largest advertising agency. In 1955, he divorced and changed his name to Iwada.
Count Hirohide Fushimi (伏見 博英, Fushimi Hirohide; 4 October 1912 – 21 August 1943) of Japan, was a member of a…
Count Hirohide Fushimi (伏見 博英, Fushimi Hirohide; 4 October 1912 – 21 August 1943) of Japan, was a member of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family and a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy who was killed in the line of duty in World War II.
Tōshirō Ishida (石田 東四郎, Ishida Tōshirō; August 1912 – June 25, 2009) was a former Japanese military employee. Drafted…
Tōshirō Ishida (石田 東四郎, Ishida Tōshirō; August 1912 – June 25, 2009) was a former Japanese military employee. Drafted in 1937, he was sent to China in order to gain information for the Imperial Japanese Army, but went missing, eventually being declared dead in 1963. He was found living in the Chinese province of Henan in 1993, suffering from amnesia, and returned to Japan that year. In 1993, a Hyogo-based civilian group got information about a Japanese man living in Henan Province. DNA testing identified the man as Ishida. He returned to Japan the same year. His family said Ishida had been suffering from amnesia after receiving a bullet wound to the head during the war. He died of pneumonia in 2009.
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Shiro Azuma (東 史郎, Azuma Shirō; April 27, 1912 – January 3, 2006) was a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his…
Shiro Azuma (東 史郎, Azuma Shirō; April 27, 1912 – January 3, 2006) was a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his participation in Japanese war crimes against the Chinese during World War II. He was one of the few former soldiers of the Empire of Japan to admit to his participation in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. After his confession, he visited China seven times to apologize and help Chinese scholars find more evidence of the Japanese soldiers' brutality. He prepared an eighth trip to Nanjing but died of cancer on January 3, 2006 in Kyoto.
Major Kenji Hatanaka (畑中 健二, Hatanaka Kenji; 28 March 1912 – 15 August 1945) was a Japanese military officer and one of…
Major Kenji Hatanaka (畑中 健二, Hatanaka Kenji; 28 March 1912 – 15 August 1945) was a Japanese military officer and one of the chief conspirators in the Kyūjō incident, a plot to seize the Imperial Palace and to prevent the broadcast of Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech announcing the end of World War II.
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Takeo Yoshikawa (吉川 猛夫, Yoshikawa Takeo; March 7, 1912 – February 20, 1993) was a Japanese spy in Hawaii before the…
Takeo Yoshikawa (吉川 猛夫, Yoshikawa Takeo; March 7, 1912 – February 20, 1993) was a Japanese spy in Hawaii before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
🏫 Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Higashi High School📅 Born March 7🎂 Born 1912📍 From Ehime Prefecture💼 Military Officer
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Nobuo Fujita (藤田 信雄, Fujita Nobuo; 1911 – 30 September 1997) was a Japanese naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Nobuo Fujita (藤田 信雄, Fujita Nobuo; 1911 – 30 September 1997) was a Japanese naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese Navy who flew a floatplane from the long-range submarine aircraft carrier I-25 and conducted the Lookout Air Raids in southern Oregon on September 9, 1942, making him the only Axis pilot during World War II to aerial bomb the contiguous United States. Using incendiary bombs, his mission was to start massive forest fires in the Pacific Northwest near the city of Brookings, Oregon, with the objective of drawing the U.S. military's resources away from the Pacific Theater. The strategy was also later used in the Japanese fire balloon campaign. In 1962 Fujita was invited to Brookings where he gave his family's 400-year-old katana to the city in friendship, Fujita later sponsored a trip for Brookings high school students to visit Japan in 1985 and returned to the city again in 1990, 1992, and 1995. In 1997, a few days before his death, Fujita was made an honorary citizen of the city.
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Tadashi Kaneko (兼子 正, Kaneko Tadashi; 25 February 1912 – 14 November 1942) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and…
Tadashi Kaneko (兼子 正, Kaneko Tadashi; 25 February 1912 – 14 November 1942) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Before his death in combat, Kaneko was officially credited with destroying eight enemy aircraft.
Tatsugo Kawaishi (河石 達吾, Kawaishi Tatsugo; December 10, 1911 – March 17, 1945) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…
Tatsugo Kawaishi (河石 達吾, Kawaishi Tatsugo; December 10, 1911 – March 17, 1945) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A native of Ōgaki, Hiroshima (currently part of the city of Etajima, Hiroshima), Kawaishi was a graduate of the law school of Keio University, and began competitive swimming as a student. Selected for the Japanese Olympic team in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 100 m freestyle event; however, his achievement was overshadowed by his teammate Yasuji Miyazaki, who won the gold medal and who set a new Olympic record. After his return to Japan, he became an instructor at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy from 1933 to 1935. He then moved to Osaka, and was employed by the forerunner of Kansai Electric; however, he then enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army and was accepted into the Hiroshima-based IJA 11th Infantry Regiment. He was sent to serve on the front lines in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War and was promoted to first lieutenant after five years. Upon his discharge, he returned to work at Kansai Electric; however, during the Pacific War, as the situation worsened for Japan, he was recalled to active duty in June 1944 and was assigned to the garrison at Iwo Jima, where General Tadamichi Kuribayashi made him commander of the northern district of the island. He was killed in combat during the Battle of Iwo Jima on March 17, 1945, and was posthumously promoted to captain.
🎓 Keio University🏫 Shudo Junior and Senior High School📅 Born December 10🎂 Born 1911📍 From 大柿村, Hiroshima Prefecture💼 Military Officer
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Ryūzō Sejima (瀬島 龍三, Sejima Ryūzō; December 9, 1911 – September 4, 2007) was a Japanese army officer and business…
Ryūzō Sejima (瀬島 龍三, Sejima Ryūzō; December 9, 1911 – September 4, 2007) was a Japanese army officer and business leader.
Hideki Shingō (新郷 英城, Shingō Hideki; 10 October 1911 – 27 November 1982) was a fighter pilot officer in the Imperial…
Hideki Shingō (新郷 英城, Shingō Hideki; 10 October 1911 – 27 November 1982) was a fighter pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War and survived the war.