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.
Famous People from Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture: 15 people
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tadamichi Kuribayashi (栗林 忠道, Kuribayashi Tadamichi; 7 July 1891 – c. 26 March 1945) was a general in the Imperial…
Tadamichi Kuribayashi (栗林 忠道, Kuribayashi Tadamichi; 7 July 1891 – c. 26 March 1945) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, diplomat, and commanding officer of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He is best known for having been the commander of the Japanese garrison at the battle of Iwo Jima. Even before the battle, General Kuribayashi insisted upon sharing the hardships of his men. He also refused to permit banzai charges, which he regarded as an unnecessary waste of his men's lives. The United States Marine Corps had expected to capture Iwo Jima in five days, but Kuribayashi and his men held out for 36 days. It is believed that Kuribayashi was killed in action while leading his soldiers in a night-attack on American troops, but his body was never identified by the United States military. U.S. Marine Corps General Holland Smith said of Kuribayashi that "Of all our adversaries in the Pacific, Kuribayashi was the most redoubtable."
Boshirō Hosogaya (細萱 戊子郎, Hosogaya Boshirō; 24 June 1888 – 8 February 1964) was a Japanese admiral during World War II…
Boshirō Hosogaya (細萱 戊子郎, Hosogaya Boshirō; 24 June 1888 – 8 February 1964) was a Japanese admiral during World War II and the last Governor of the South Seas Mandate from 1943 to 1945.
Mitsumi Shimizu (清水 光美, Shimizu Mitsumi; March 16, 1888 – May 5, 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Mitsumi Shimizu (清水 光美, Shimizu Mitsumi; March 16, 1888 – May 5, 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
Gyosaku Morozumi (両角業作, Morozumi Gyōsaku; 4 January 1884 – 15 September 1963) was a general in the Imperial Japanese…
Gyosaku Morozumi (両角業作, Morozumi Gyōsaku; 4 January 1884 – 15 September 1963) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding the Japanese ground forces for the Battle of Mindanao in 1945, especially in the closing months of the war.
Tetsuzan Nagata (永田 鉄山, Nagata Tetsuzan; 14 January 1884 – 12 August 1935) was a Japanese military officer and general…
Tetsuzan Nagata (永田 鉄山, Nagata Tetsuzan; 14 January 1884 – 12 August 1935) was a Japanese military officer and general of the Imperial Japanese Army best known as the victim of the Aizawa Incident in August 1935. Nagata was an influential military figure in the Meiji government and the de facto leader of the Tōseiha faction during the Gunbatsu political rivalry within the Imperial Japanese Army. Nagata was assassinated by Saburō Aizawa of the rival Kōdōha faction and his death triggered events that led to the February 26 Incident.
Kōichi Shiozawa (塩沢 幸一, Shiozawa Kōichi; March 5, 1883 – November 17, 1943) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Kōichi Shiozawa (塩沢 幸一, Shiozawa Kōichi; March 5, 1883 – November 17, 1943) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The literary critic Rinsen Nakazawa was his older brother.
Otozō Yamada (山田 乙三, Yamada Otozō; 6 November 1881 – 18 July 1965) was a career officer, convicted war criminal and…
Otozō Yamada (山田 乙三, Yamada Otozō; 6 November 1881 – 18 July 1965) was a career officer, convicted war criminal and general in the Imperial Japanese Army, serving from the Russo-Japanese War to the end of World War II.
Ryū Saitō (斎藤 瀏, Saitō Ryū; April 16, 1879 – July 5, 1953) was a Japanese Major General and poet during the 20th…
Ryū Saitō (斎藤 瀏, Saitō Ryū; April 16, 1879 – July 5, 1953) was a Japanese Major General and poet during the 20th century. He is commonly associated with the Jinan incident, playing a major role in the diplomatic and public press of the incident. He was also known for his tanka poetry works.
Baron Andō Sadayoshi (安東 貞美, Andō Sadayoshi; 21 September 1853 – 29 August 1932), also known as Andō Teibi, was a…
Baron Andō Sadayoshi (安東 貞美, Andō Sadayoshi; 21 September 1853 – 29 August 1932), also known as Andō Teibi, was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and Governor-General of Taiwan from 1 May 1915 to 6 June 1918.
Masao Maruyama (丸山 政男, Maruyama Masao; 13 September 1889 – 11 November 1957), was a lieutenant general and commander in…
Masao Maruyama (丸山 政男, Maruyama Masao; 13 September 1889 – 11 November 1957), was a lieutenant general and commander in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.