List of Japanese government and military commanders of World War II
Summary
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Central governmentedit
Supreme head of stateedit
Hirohito, Emperor of Japan: supreme Commander in Chief of Armed Imperial Forces, head of state, and representative of the "Imperial Sun Lineage", State Shinto and Worship national god image, and chief of the Imperial Household Ministry.
President of the Imperial Counciledit
Yoshimichi Hara: President of the "Imperial Council" and "Imperial Throne Council of War" also the Emperor's representatives
Chairman of the Imperial Advisory Counciledit
Kantarō Suzuki: Chairman of the Imperial Advisory Council
Imperial family membersedit
The following were closely involved in the government and military of Japan:
Kantarō Suzuki: Vice-chairman of the Councilors of Court
Prime Ministersedit
Senjuro Hayashi: Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of Kwantung Army, Minister of War, member of Imperial Privy Council amongst political adviser in Taisei Yokusankai
Fumimaro Konoe: Prime Minister; in his second term organized the Tonarigumi organization, Nation Service Society official government syndicate, and Taisei Yokusankai (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) group amongst official expert of Jews affairs
Hiranuma Kiichirō: General in Imperial Forces, Prime Minister, Home Affairs and Justice Minister, chief of Keishicho Police forces, Minister without Portfolio, founder and leader in Shintoist Rites Research Council amongst Last President of Imperial Privy Council
Nobuyuki Abe: Imperial Army General, Prime Minister, member of Imperial Privy Council, political adviser in militarist Genro grouping and last Governor in Chosen
Mitsumasa Yonai:Imperial Navy Admiral, Prime Minister, Minister of Marine, Chief of War Relief Association, expert in Jews topics amongst Imperial and Supreme War Councillor
Hideki Tōjō: Prime Minister, Home Affairs Minister, Education Minister, Trade Minister, War Minister, Head of Kodoha Party; also Commander-in-Chief of Japanese Imperial Forces in same period, also led the Keishicho (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department); also was for some time head of the Munitions Ministry.
Kantarō Suzuki: Imperial Navy Admiral, Marine Minister, Military Councillor, Grand Chamberlain and Privy Councilor, later Prime Minister
Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko: Prime Minister, Staff Officer, Army General Staff Headquarters, Military Councilor, Chief of the Army Aeronautical Department, and Commander-in-Chief of the Home Defense Headquarters
Chief Cabinet Secretaryedit
Kenji Tomita: Chief Cabinet Secretary in Minister Konoe period
He also led the Imperial Supreme War Council conferences and meetings, in some cases a member of the Imperial Family was sent to represent him at such strategic conferences.
Army High Level Inner Liaison with Army General Staff, IGHQ
Shuichi Miyazaki: Chief, First Bureau, Army General Staff Headquarters, attended operational liaison conference between IGHQ, Southern Army, and Fourteenth Area Army (Manila)
Takushiro Hattori: Member (Army-Navy high level liaison), Naval General Staff; Naval Staff Officer (Operations) IGHQ; Section Chief (Operations), Army General Staff, IGHQ; Army Section Member, Naval General Staff Naval Staff Officer, IGHQ (Operations).
Joichiro Sanada: Chief, Second Section, (Army-Navy high level liaison) Army General Staff Headquarters; Staff Officer, IGHQ (Navy Section)
Toshizō Nishio: Governor of the Tokyo metropolitan area; also was commander of civil law enforcement divisions in the metropolitan area, including Keishicho, Tokkō, Kempeitai and Tokeitai metropolitan units. The Imperial Guards remained under their own commander, who reported directly to the Emperor.
Tokyo Divisional Districtedit
Jo Iimura: Commanding General, Tokyo Defense Army; concurrently Commanding General, Tokyo Divisional District
Tokyo Defense Commandedit
Yoshikazu Nishi: Commander Officer of Tokyo Defence Command
Joichiro Sanada: Secretary to War Minister; concurrently Adjutant in the same Ministry; Aide to the War Minister; Staff Officer, Tokyo Garrison Command
Takushiro Hattori: Secretary to the War Minister; Adjutant, War Ministry
Toranosuke Hashimoto: Provost Marshal General, later the Japanese first priest in Shintoist central Shrine in Xinjing, led the Cultural Japanese entity in Manchukuo, amongst operative leader of Manchoukouan Intelligence services.
General Affairs Bureau, Provost Marshal Headquartersedit
Fusataro Teshima: Chief, General Affairs Bureau, Provost Marshal Headquarters
Inspectorate General of Military Trainingedit
Rikichi Andō: Vice-Chief Inspectorate General of Military Training
Sadao Araki: Inspector General of Military Training
Shunroku Hata: Inspector General of Artillery Training
Ichiro Shicida: retired, April 1945; recalled to active duty
Hideki Tōjō: relieved of all military and political posts, July 1944; retired to first reserve list
Kioji Tominaga: transferred to first reserve list (Formosa), May 1945
Koiso Kuniaki: retired to first reserve list, July 1938
Yoshitoshi Tokugawa: Was entered on Reserve list (1939), for later retirement to civilian life (1939). He was called to operational service during 1944–45.
Armyedit
Deputy Chief of Army General Staffedit
Jun Ushiroku: Senior Deputy Chief of Army General Staff
Hikosaburo Hata: Second Deputy Chief of Army General Staff
20th Group - War Coordination, Army General Staffedit
Makoto Matsutani: Chief, 20th Group-War Coordination, Army General Staff
Operations Section, Army General Staffedit
Seijun Inada: Chief of Operations Section, Army General Staff
Third Section-Organization and Mobilization, Army General Staffedit
Yozo Miyama: Chief, Third Section (Organization and Mobilization), Army General Staff
Kitsuju Ayabe: Section Chief, Third Section (Organization and Mobilization), Army General Staff
Chief of General Intelligence Bureau in Army General Staffedit
Seizo Arisue: Chief of General Intelligence Bureau in Army General Staff
Second Bureau (Intelligence Division), Army General Staffedit
Major General Okamoto: Chief, Second Bureau (Intelligence Division), Army General Staff, at the time of the outbreak of the Pacific War. His staff consisted of Colonel Kotani, Navy officer Captain Onoda, and Mr.Yosano, Foreign Office Chancellor.
Seizo Arisue: Chief, Second Bureau (Intelligence Division), Army General Staff
Harukichi Hyakutake: Chief of the Cryptographic Section (Intelligence Division), Army General Staff
Russian unit of Second Bureau (Intelligence Division) Army General Staffedit
Saburo Hayashi: Commander of Russian unit, Second Bureau (Intelligence) Army General Staff
Japanese Army Intelligence Services units
Hideki Tōjō, the highest operative Chief in Japanese Army Intelligence Services in wartime
Michio Sugawara: Third Air Army Commander and Sixth Air Army Commander. Between March and May 1945, General Sugawara was engaged in the Ten-Go Air Operation, under the Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet
Yoshitoshi Tokugawa: Commandant of Akeno Army Aviation School and Commandant of Tokorozawa Army Aviation School, Director of Training Department, Tokorozawa Army Aviation School, Commandant of Central Army Aviation School
Chief of Army Aeronautical Department (operative unit)
Takuma Shimoyama: Chief, Army Aeronautical Department (MajGen)
Himeji Sugiyama: Chief, Army Aeronautical Department
Michio Sugawara: Chief, Army Aeronautical Department
Kesago Nakajima: Since 1921–41 lead the Kempeitai operation inside Japan and Asia during wartimes
Kenzo Kitano: Military Police (Gendarmerie) Commander, China Forces
Hideki Tōjō: Commanding General, Military Police, Kwantung Army
Sanji Okido: Commander, Military Police
Takeshi Mori: Deputy Chief, Military Police Headquarters
Shizuichi Tanaka: Chief, General Affairs Bureau; Military Police Forces Headquarters; Commander, Kwantung Army Military Police Units; Commander, Military Police Forces (LtGen)
Keisuke Fujie: Chief, General Affairs Bureau, Military Police; Headquarters, Kwantung Army; Commander, Kwantung Army Military Police
Moto Inkai: General Officer Commanding Kempeitai unit, Chosen
Rokuro Iwasa: Commander in Chief Kempeitai Forces, Tokyo Hq
Tuyoji Hirano: Commanding Officer Kempeitai Section 25th Army, Sumatra
Tokeitai police service unitsedit
Isoge Taro:- Operative leader of Joho Kyoko (Japanese naval intelligence) and Tokeitai (naval military police)
Imperial Guards unitedit
Sadao Araki: Company Commander, 1st Infantry Regiment, Imperial Guard Division, during Russo-Japanese War
Mitsumasa Yonai: Marine Minister; Commander-in-Chief, First Expeditionary Fleet (Yangtze River); Commander Yokosuka and Sasebo Naval District; Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet; Imperial and Supreme War Councilor; Ex-Prime Minister and political adviser
303 Squadron, 203rd Air Corps (Kagoshima Airfield, 1945)
Captain-Petty Officer Tanimizu
Navy General Staff's Intelligence Divisionedit
Mineichi Koga: Chief of the Navy General Staff's Intelligence Division
Japanese Navy Secret Service units
Isoge Taro:- Operative leader of Joho Kyoko (Japanese naval intelligence) and Tokeitai (naval military police)
Captain Onoda: Navy figure, in the Second Bureau (Intelligence Division), Japanese Army
Kanyei Chuyo: Commander in Japanese Navy Secret services. Directed the 8th Section "Yashika". Between this unit stay the "Tokyo Gimusho" office (the "Australian Section") linked with Japanese Naval Intelligence Staff under command of Imperial Navy General Staff. The office had orders to researching any affairs of the British Empire in Southeast Asia and Pacific Area.
Japanese Imperial Navy's Advisory Bureau on Jewish Affairsedit
Inuzuka Koreshige: member of Japanese Imperial Navy's Advisory Bureau on Jewish Affairs
Operation Section of Naval General Staffedit
Shigeru Fukudome: Chief, of Operation Section of Naval General Staff
Plans Division Office of Operation Section in Naval General Staffedit
Sadatoshi Tomioka: Chief in Plans Division Office of Operation Section in Naval General Staff;he was proposer and support plans for Australian Invasion.
Kōichi Kido: Education, Welfare and Home Minister, as well as chief secretary to the Naidaijin and last proper Naidaijin (Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal). He is recognised as one of the principal supporters of General Tojo's policies. During his period as Home Affairs Minister, he commanded the Keishicho (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department), and national civil police forces.
Minister of Educationedit
Sadao Araki: charge of Minister of Education; Company Commander, 1st Infantry Regiment, Imperial Guard Division, during the Russo-Japanese War; principal nationalist thinker and right-wing political adviser in the country; War minister; founder of Kokuhonsha (Society for the Foundation of the State) right-wing secret society
Kingoro Hashimoto: Imperial Youth Federation and Imperial Youth Corps Chief; in charge of young nationalist and militarists local indoctrination, following official doctrines amongst Minister of Education policies.
Heisuke Yanagawa: Justice Minister; commander of the Keishicho (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department), and leader in Taisei Yokusankai (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) group
Kichisaburō Nomura: Foreign Affairs Minister, also Japanese Ambassador in United States
Foreign Affairs Officersedit
Kanji Kato: High-ranking official in Foreign Affairs Ministry
Kaoru Muramatsu: Official of the Research Section of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Kinoaki Matsuo: Foreign Affairs officer, also intelligence unit when serving as liaison between the Japanese Foreign Office and the Admiralty; a Black Dragon Society member
Mr.Yosano: Foreign Office high-ranking official;as liaison in IGHQ-Army/Navy Intelligence section.
Tomohiko Ushiba: Foreign Office high-ranking official
Shigenori Tōgō: Minister for Colonization, later the Ministry of Greater East Asia (Japan)
Political Affairs Section of the Asia Development Boardedit
Teiichi Suzuki: Chief of the Political Affairs Section of the Asia Development Board (China Affairs Board), Secretary-General of the Asia Development Board
Governor-General in Exterior Provinces (1944-45)edit
Japanese and foreign politician and military experts related to Buddhist and Tibetan topics group inside of foreign affairs ministry during 1942, for research the possibility of any operations or incursion in Tibet:[clarification needed]
Ultra-nationalist supporters close to the governmentedit
Prince Kan'in Kotohito: ultra-nationalist and State Shinto supporter; later he was sent to Southeast Asia, in order to convey the Imperial message concerning the cessation of hostilities.
Prince Asaka Yasuhiko: Right-wing partisan, also involved in the Nanjing Massacre, with Tenno direct orders to supervise operations along General Kesago Nakajima, one of Operative Commanders in area; later returned to China in order to convey the Imperial Message concerning the cessation of hostilities.
Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi: Nationalist follower; possibly was chief of Japanese Secret Services in Manchukuo, coordinated military and civil actions. Had a direct link with Imperial Family. Later sent to Manchukuo, with orders to convey the Imperial Message concerning the cessation of hostilities, but decided instead to take action against Soviet forces in the area.
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu: Right-winger, representative of the Emperor at High Command Conferences, also Chief of Naval General Staff of the Imperial Navy forces
Yoshio Kodama: Right-wing industrialist, yakuza chief and honorary Rear Admiral, supporter of right-wing government policies
Fumio Gotō: Konoye political partner; also another fascist ideologist, supporter of Militarists
Naoki Hoshino: Right-wing and Army follower charged to compose the economic policies of Manchukuo and Japan.
Notesedit
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Major-General Yuitsu Tsuchihashi". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30.
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Vice-Admiral Nishio Tsukahara". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
^ abL. Klemen (1999–2000). "Rear-Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Rear-Admiral Raizo Tanaka". Dutch East Indies Campaign website. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Rear-Admiral Takeo Takagi". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Rear-Admiral Takeo Kurita". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
^L. Klemen (1999–2000). "Rear-Admiral Shoji Nishimura". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.