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::''For [[Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force|Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces]] (1954– ), please see that article.''
::''For [[Ministry of the Military (Ritsuryō)]] (701–1871), please see that article.''
{{Infobox Military Unit
| unit_name = <big>Imperial Japanese Army (IJA)</big><br>大日本帝國陸軍<br><small>Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun</small>
| image = [[Image:War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg|220px|border]]
| caption = [[Rising Sun Flag|The ensign]] of the Imperial Japanese Army
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| country = {{flag|Empire of Japan}}
| allegiance =
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| size = 6,095,000 men at its height
| command_structure =
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<!-- Commanders -->
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| ceremonial_chief =
| notable_commanders = [[Yamagata Aritomo]], [[Ōyama Iwao]], [[prince Kan'in|Kotohito Kan'in]], [[Hajime Sugiyama]], [[Hideki Tojo]], [[Yasuji Okamura]], [[Shunroku Hata]], [[Tadamichi Kuribayashi]], [[Tomoyuki Yamashita]], [[Masaharu Homma]]
<!-- Culture and history -->
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| colors =
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = [[First Sino-Japanese War]]<br>[[Russo-Japanese War]]<br>[[World War I]]<br>[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]<br>[[World War II]]
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
}}
The '''Imperial Japanese Army''' ('''IJA''') ([[Kyūjitai]]: 大日本帝國陸軍, [[Shinjitai]]: {{lang|ja|大日本帝国陸軍}}, [[Romaji]]: ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun''), or literally '''Army of the Empire of Greater Japan''' was the official ground based armed force of [[Imperial Japan]] from 1871 to 1945. It was controlled by the [[Imperial Army General Staff Office]] and the [[Ministry of War of Japan|Ministry of War]], both of which were nominally subordinate to the [[Emperor of Japan]] as [[supreme commander]] of the army and the navy. Later an [[Inspector General|Inspectorate General]] of Military (Army) Aviation, became the third agency with oversight over the army. During wartime or national emergencies, the nominal command functions of the emperor would be centralized in an [[Imperial General Headquarters|Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ)]], an ad-hoc body consisting of the chief and vice chief of the Army General Staff, the minister of war, the chief and vice chief of the Naval General Staff, the inspector general of military aviation, and the inspector general of military training.
__TOC__
==History==
===Foundation===
[[Image:Franco-JapaneseInfantryTraining.jpg|thumb|200px|Training of the Shogunate troops by the first [[French Military Mission to Japan (1867)|French Military Mission to Japan]] in 1867, just before the [[Boshin war]] (1868–1869) which led to the [[Meiji restoration]].]]
During the [[Meiji Restoration]], the military forces loyal to the [[Emperor Meiji|Emperor]] were ''[[samurai]]'' drawn primarily from the loyalist [[daimyo|feudal domains]] of [[Satsuma Domain|Satsuma]] and [[Chōshū Domain|Chōshū]]. After the successful overthrow of the [[Tokugawa Shogunate]] (''bakufu'') and establishment of the new [[Meiji government]] modeled on European lines, a more formal military, loyal to the central government rather than individual domains, became recognized by the general populace as a necessity to preserve Japan’s independence from western [[imperialism]].
This central army, the "Imperial Japanese Army" (IJA), became even more essential after the [[Abolition of the han system|abolition of the feudal domains]] in 1871. To reform the military, the government instituted nationwide [[conscription]] in 1873, mandating that every male between the age of 17 and 40 undertake three years active service, followed by a further two years in the first reserve (active) and another two in the second reserve (standby).<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 22.</ref> One of the primary differences between the ''samurai'' and peasant class was the right to bear arms; this ancient privilege was suddenly extended to every male in the nation.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 29.</ref>
===Foreign
{{main|Boshin War}}
The early Imperial Japanese Army was essentially developed with the assistance of [[France|French]] advisors,<ref>Harries & Harries, pp. 20–24.</ref> through the second [[French military mission to Japan (1872–1880)]], and the third [[French military mission to Japan (1884–1889)]]. However, due to the [[Germany|German]] victory in the [[Franco-Prussian War]], the Japanese government also relied on [[Prussia]] as a model for their army, and hired two German military advisors (Major [[Jakob Meckel]], replaced in 1888 by [[von Wildenbrück]] and Captain [[von Blankenbourg]]) for the training of the Japanese General Staff from 1886 to April 1890: the [[Imperial Army General Staff Office]], based on the Prussian [[Generalstab]], was established directly under the Emperor in 1878 and was given broad powers for military planning and strategy.
[[Image:1875Uniform.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army in 1875.]]
Other known foreign military consultants were the Italian Major [[Pompeo Grillo]], who worked at the [[Osaka]] foundry from 1884 to 1888, followed by Major [[Quaratezi]] from 1889 to 1890, and the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] Captain [[Schermbeck]], who worked on improving coastal defenses from 1883 to 1886. Japan did not use foreign military advisors between 1890 and 1918, until again a [[French military mission to Japan (1918–1919)]], headed by Commandant [[Jacques-Paul Faure]], was requested to assist in the development of the Japanese air services.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 363.</ref>
===Taiwan Expedition===
{{main|Taiwan Expedition of 1874}}
The Taiwan Expedition of 1874 was a [[punitive expedition]] by Japanese military forces in response to the murder of 54 crewmembers of a wrecked [[Ryukyu]]an merchant vessel by [[Paiwan]] aborigines on the southwestern tip of Taiwan in December 1871. It marked the first overseas deployment of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 28.</ref>
===Satsuma
Not surprisingly, the new order led to a series of riots from disgruntled ''samurai''. One of the major riots was led by [[Saigō Takamori]], the [[Satsuma rebellion]], which eventually turned into a civil war. This rebellion was put down swiftly by conscripts in the newly-formed Imperial Army, using Western tactics and weapons, even though the core of the new army was actually the [[Tokyo]] Police force, consisting mostly of former ''samurai''.<ref>Harries & Harries, pp. 29–31.</ref>
[[Image:KumamotoSoldiers1877.jpg|thumb|200px|Soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Satsuma Rebellion (Garrison of [[Kumamoto]], 1877).]]
An [[Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors|Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors of 1882]] called for unquestioning loyalty to the Emperor by the new armed forces and asserted that commands from superior officers were equivalent to commands from the Emperor himself. Thenceforth, the military existed in an intimate and privileged relationship with the imperial institution.
Top-ranking military leaders were given direct access to the Emperor and the authority to transmit his pronouncements directly to the troops. The sympathetic relationship between conscripts and officers, particularly junior officers who were drawn mostly from the peasantry, tended to draw the military closer to the people. In time, most people came to look more for guidance in national matters to military than to political leaders.
[[Image:KoishikawaArtillery1882.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Japanese artillery unit, at the [[Koishikawa]] arsenal, Tokyo, in 1882. Photographed by [[Hugues Krafft]].]]
[[File:Murata gun.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Murata rifle]] was locally developed in 1880.]]
By the 1890s, the Imperial Japanese Army had grown to become the most [[modernization|modern]] army in Asia, well-trained, well-equipped with good morale. However, it was basically an [[infantry]] force deficient in [[cavalry]] and [[artillery]] when compared with its European contemporaries. Artillery pieces, which were purchased from America and a variety of European nations, presented two problems: they were scarce, and the relatively small number that were available were in several different [[caliber]]s, causing problems with their ammunition supply.
===First Sino Japanese War===
{{main|First Sino-Japanese War}}
The First Sino-Japanese War was a war fought between [[Qing Dynasty]] of [[China]] and [[Imperial Japan|Japanese]] [[Meiji period|Meiji government]] over the control of [[Korea]]. The Sino-Japanese War would come to symbolize the weakness of the Qing military, with Japanese securing victory after victory over the Chinese forces. This was the result by Japan's new western-style conscript army which was well equipped and well trained when compared with their Chinese counterpart. The principal results were a shift in regional dominance in Asia from China to Japan and a fatal blow to the Qing Dynasty. Japan fielded a force of 120,000 in two armies and five divisions.
{{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
===Boxer Rebellion===
{{main|Boxer Rebellion}}
[[Image:JapaneseArmy1900.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army in 1900]]
In 1899–1900, [[Righteous Harmony Society|Boxer]] attacks against foreigners in China intensified and later accumulated in the [[Boxer Rebellion|siege of the diplomatic legations]] in [[Beijing]]. An [[Eight-Nation Alliance|international force]] consisting of [[Great Britain|British]], [[Third French Republic|French]], [[Imperial Russia|Russian]], [[Imperial Germany|German]], [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italian]], [[Austro-Hungarian Empire|Austro-Hungarian]], [[United States|American]] and [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] troops was assembled to relieve the legations. The Japanese provided the largest contingent of troops; 20,840, as well as 18 warships. Of the total number, 20,300 were Imperial Japanese Army troops of the [[5th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|5th Infantry Division]] under Lt. General Yamaguchi Motoomi, the remainder were 540 naval ''rikusentai'' from the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]. The rebels used traditional Chinese martial arts, as opposed to modern military weapons and tactics. This led to them being called "Boxers" by Westerners, as that is how they perceived martial arts at the time. While officially condemning the movement, the Boxers had the unofficial support of the Empress Dowager [[Cixi]]. In the end the Boxer leaders were captured and executed. The Empress Dowager, was forced to flee the palace as the foreign armies entered the [[Forbidden City]].
===Russo-Japanese War===
{{main|Russo-Japanese War}}
The Russo–Japanese War was the result of tensions between [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and [[Empire of Japan|Japan]], largely out of the rival [[imperialist]] ambitions over [[Manchuria]] and [[Korea]]. The Japanese inflicted severe losses on the Russians; however, they were not able to inflict a decisive blow to the Russian armies. Over reliance on infantry led to large casualties among Japanese forces especially during [[Siege of Port Arthur|the siege of Port Arthur]].
===World War I===
[[Image:IJA.JPG|thumb|right|Imperial Japanese Army uniform as worn on the expedition to [[Kiaochow]].]]
{{main|Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I|Japan during World War I}}
The [[Empire of Japan]] entered the war on the [[Triple Entente|Entente side]]. Although tentative plans were made to send an expeditionary force of between 100,000–500,000 men to France,<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 109.</ref> ultimately the only action in which the Imperial Japanese Army was involved in was the careful and well executed [[Siege of Tsingtao|attack]] on the German concession of [[Qingdao|Tsingtao]] in 1914.<ref>Harries & Harries, pp. 110–111.</ref>
===Inter-war
{{main|Japan during the Siberian Intervention}}
During 1917–18, Japan continued to extend its influence and privileges in China via the [[Nishihara Loans]].
Following the collapse of the [[Russian Empire]] in the [[October Revolution|Bolshevik Revolution]], during the [[Siberian Intervention]], the Imperial Japanese Army initially planned to send more than 70,000 troops to occupy Siberia as far west as [[Lake Baykal]]. The army general staff came to view the Tsarist collapse as an opportunity to free Japan from any future threat from Russia by detaching Siberia and forming an independent buffer state.<ref name="Humphreys, p.25">Humphreys, ''The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920's'', page 25</ref>
The plan was scaled back considerably due to opposition from the United States.
In July 1918, President Wilson asked the Japanese government to supply 7,000 troops as part of an international coalition of 24,000 troops planned to support the [[American Expeditionary Force Siberia]].<ref name=Harries123>Harries & Harries, p. 123.</ref> After heated debate in the [[Diet of Japan|Diet]], the government of [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]] [[Terauchi Masatake]] agreed to send 12,000 troops, but under the command of Japan, rather than as part of an international coalition. Japan and the United States sent forces to [[Siberia]] to bolster the armies of the [[White Movement]] leader Admiral [[Aleksandr Kolchak]] against the [[Bolshevik]] [[Red Army]].
Once the political decision had been reached, the Imperial Japanese Army took over full control under Chief of Staff General [[Yui Mitsue]], and by November 1918, more than 70,000<ref name=Harries123/> Japanese troops had occupied all ports and major towns in the Russian [[Primorsky Krai|Maritime Provinces]] and eastern [[Siberia]].
In June 1920, America and its allied coalition partners withdrew from [[Vladivostok]] after the capture and execution of White Army leader Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak by the Red Army. However, the Japanese decided to stay, primarily due to fears of the spread of [[communism]] so close to Japan, and Japanese controlled [[Korea]] and [[Manchuria]]. The Japanese army provided military support to the Japanese-backed [[Provisional Priamur Government]] based in Vladivostok against the [[Moscow]]-backed [[Far Eastern Republic]].
The continued Japanese presence concerned the United States, which suspected that Japan had territorial designs on Siberia and the Russian Far East. Subjected to intense diplomatic pressure by the United States and Great Britain, and facing increasing domestic opposition due to the economic and human cost, the administration of Prime Minister [[Kato Tomosaburo]] withdrew the Japanese forces in October 1922.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 124.</ref>
[[Image:Prince Kanin Kotohito.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[Prince Kanin Kotohito|Prince Kotohito Kan'in]], chief of staff of the Army from 1931 until 1940]]
===Rise of militarism in Shōwa era===
In the 1920s the Imperial Japanese Army expanded rapidly and by 1937 had a force of 300,000 men. Unlike western countries it enjoyed a great deal of independence from government. Under the provisions of the [[Meiji Constitution]], the [[Ministry of War of Japan|War Minister]] was held accountable only to the Emperor [[Hirohito]] himself, and not to the elected civilian government. In fact, Japanese civilian administrations needed the support of the Army in order to survive. The Army controlled the appointment of the War Minister and in 1936 a law was passed that stipulated that only an active duty general or lieutenant-general could hold the post.<ref>Harries & Harris, p. 193.</ref> As a result, the military spending as a proportion of the national budget rose disproportionately in the 1920s and 1930s, and various factions within the military exerted disproportionate influence on Japanese foreign policy.
The Imperial Japanese Army was originally known simply as the Army (''rikugun'') but after 1928, as part of the Army's turn toward [[romantic nationalism]] and also in the service of its political ambitions, it retitled itself the Imperial Army (''kōgun'').
===Conflict
{{main|Second Sino-Japanese War}}
In 1931, the Imperial Japanese Army had an overall strength of 198,880 officers and men, organized into 17 divisions.<ref>[[#refKelman|Kelman]], p.41</ref>
The [[Manchurian Incident]], as it became known in Japan, was the alleged attack on the Japanese-owned railway by Chinese bandits. Action by the military, largely independent of the civilian leadership, led to the invasion of [[Manchuria]] in 1931 and later the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] in 1937. As war approached, the Imperial Army's influence with the Emperor waned and the influence of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] increased.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 197.</ref> Nevertheless, by 1938 the Army had been expanded to 34 divisions.<ref name=Jowlett7>Jowlett, p. 7.</ref>
===World War II===
{{main|Pacific War}}
In 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army had 51 divisions<ref name=Jowlett7/> and various special-purpose artillery, cavalry, anti-aircraft and armored units with a total of 1,700,000 men. At the beginning of the [[World War II|Second World War]] most of the Japanese Army was stationed in [[China]], where 27 divisions were stationed. A further 13 divisions were tasked with defending the Mongolian border, due to concerns about a possible attack by the Soviet Union.<ref name=Jowlett7/> However, from 1942 soldiers were sent to [[Hong Kong]] (23rd Army), the [[Philippines]] (14th Army), [[Thailand]] (15th Army), [[Burma]] (15th Army), [[Dutch East Indies]] (16th Army) and [[British Malaya|Malaya]] (25th Army).<ref>Jowlett, pp. 15–16, 21.</ref> By 1945, there were 5.5 million men in the Imperial Japanese Army.
From 1943, Japanese troops suffered from a shortage of supplies; especially food, medicine, munitions and armaments largely due to [[Allied submarines in the Pacific War|submarine]] interdiction of supplies and losses to Japanese shipping, which was worsened by a long-standing and severe rivalry with the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]. The lack of supplies caused large numbers of fighter aircraft to become unserviceable for lack of spare parts<ref>Bergerund, Eric. ''Fire in the Sky'' (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000).</ref> and "as many as two-thirds of Japan's total military deaths resulted from illness or starvation."<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.150.</ref>
[[Image:Singaporesurrender.jpg|thumb|200px|Lt Gen [[Arthur Percival]], led by a Japanese officer (center), marches under a flag of [[truce]] to negotiate the capitulation of Allied forces during the [[Battle of Singapore]], on February 15, 1942.]]
====Fanaticism and war crimes====
Throughout the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army had gained a reputation both for its [[fanaticism]] and for its brutality against [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] and [[civilian]]s alike - with the [[Nanking Massacre]] being one such example.<ref>Harries & Harries, pp. 475–476.</ref> After Japan surrendered in the summer of 1945, many Imperial Japanese Army officers and enlisted men were tried and punished for committing numerous atrocities and [[Japanese war crimes|war crimes]]. In 1949, the trials were ceased, with a total of 5,700 cases having been heard.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 463.</ref>
Major General [[Tomitarō Horii]] did issue a "Guide to Soldiers in the South Seas" in late 1941, which ordered troops not to loot or kill civilians. This was intended to prevent a repeat of atrocities that the Army committed in China, however this only applied to men under his command.<ref>Chen, [http://www.ww2db.com World War II Database]</ref>
Several reasons are theorized for the especially brutal and merciless behavior exhibited by many members of the IJA towards their adversaries or non-Japanese civilians. One is probably the brutal behavior that they themselves experienced. The IJA was known for the extremely harsh treatment of its enlisted soldiers from the start of training,<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.87.</ref> including beatings, unnecessarily strenuous duty tasks, lack of adequate food, and other violent or harsh disciplinary tactics. This was contrary to the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors of 1882, which instructed officers to treat subordinates respectfully.<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.45.</ref> Not until 1943 did the senior command realize this brutality had effects on morale and ordered an end to it, an order which was routinely circumvented or ignored.<ref name="Gilmore, p.89">[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.89.</ref> The spirit of ''gyokusai'' ("glorious death") saw them order suicidal attacks with bayonets, when supplies of [[hand grenade]]s and ammunition were still available.<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], pp.97–8.</ref>
The reputation of Imperial Army troops during the Pacific War of refusing to surrender was established by the low number of Japanese survivors in numerous battles throughout the Pacific Campaign; 921 captured out of a garrison strength of 31,000 in the [[Battle of Saipan]], 17 out of 3000 in the [[Battle of Tarawa]], 7,400–10,755 out of 117,000 in the [[Battle of Okinawa]], with a high number of battlefield suicides sanctioned by the Imperial Army. In the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|South West Pacific Area]] (SWPA) just over 1,000 surrendered in each of 1942 and 1943, around 5,100 in 1944, and over 12,000 in 1945,<ref>This is quite substantially more than the 2,000 who surrendered in the [[Russo-Japanese War]]. [[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.155.</ref> and might have been greater except for disease.<ref>Dower, John W., Prof. ''War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War'' (New York: Pantheon, 1986).</ref> Propaganda through leaflet drops by the Americans accounted for about 20% of surrenders;<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.155.</ref> equating to about one POW for every 6,000 leaflets dropped;<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.154.</ref> while the Japanese objected to the "unscrupulous" leaflets,<ref>Quoted in [[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], p.163.</ref> which contained some truth with regard to the willingness of American to accept surrenders from the Japanese.<ref>[[#refGilmore|Gilmore]], pp.63, 68. & 101.</ref> This was in contrast to Imperial Japanese Army practice of depicting American troops as cruel and merciless, referring to them as 鬼畜米英 (''Kichiku Beihei,'' lit. ''Demonic Beast American and English'') and informing their own troops that Americans would rape all captured women and torture the men, leading directly to brutal treatment of POWs in incidents such as the [[Bataan Death March]] and mass suicide of Japanese soldiers and civilians during the [[Battle of Saipan]] and [[Battle of Okinawa]].
====Imperial General Headquarters and the power of the Emperor in the ''Shōwa'' era====
During the first part of the [[Showa era]], according to the [[Meiji Constitution]], the Emperor had the "supreme command of the Army and the Navy" (Article 11). Hirohito was thus legally supreme commander of the [[Imperial General Headquarters]], founded in 1937 and by which the military decisions were made.
[[Image:Hirohito in dress uniform.jpg|thumb|right| The Shōwa Emperor dressed as commander of the [[Imperial General Headquarters]].]]
The primary sources such as the "[[Hajime Sugiyama|Sugiyama]] memo", and the diaries of [[Fumimaro Konoe]] and [[Koichi Kido]], describe in detail the many informal meetings the Emperor had with his chiefs of staff and ministers. These documents show he was kept informed of all military operations and frequently questioned his senior staff and asked for changes.
According to historians [[Yoshiaki Yoshimi]] and Seiya Matsuno, [[Hirohito]] authorized by specific orders, transmitted by the Chief of staff of the Army such as [[Prince Kan'in Kotohito|Prince Kan'in]] or [[Hajime Sugiyama]], the use of [[Chemical warfare|chemical weapons]] against Chinese civilians and soldiers. For example, he authorized the use of toxic gas on 375 separate occasions during the invasion of [[battle of Wuhan|Wuhan]] in 1938.<ref>Yoshimi and Matsuno, ''Dokugasusen Kankei Shiryo II, Kaisetsu'', 1997, p.25–29.</ref> Such weapons were also authorized during the invasion of [[Changde chemical weapon attack|Changde]].
According to historians Akira Fujiwara and Akira Yamada, Hirohito even made major interventions in some military operations. For example, he pressed [[Field Marshal]] [[Hajime Sugiyama]] four times during January and February 1942 to increase troop strength and launch attack on [[Bataan]].<ref>Fujiwara, ''Shōwa tenno no ju-go nen senso'', 1991, pp.135–138; Yamada, ''Daigensui Showa tenno'', 1994, pp.180, 181, and 185.</ref> In August 1943, he scolded Sugiyama for being unable to stop the American advance on the [[Solomon Islands]] and asked the general to consider other places to attack.<ref>Bix, Herbert. ''Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan'' (New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2000), p.466, citing the Sugiyama memo, p.24.</ref>
Only in rare moments of special importance, decisions were made in Imperial council. The Imperial government used this special institution to sanction the invasion of China, the [[Greater East Asia War]] and [[Surrender of Japan|to end the war]]. In 1945, executing the decision approved in Imperial conference, Emperor ''Shōwa'' for the only time directly ordered via recorded radio broadcast to all of Japan, as his last role as commander-in-chief, the surrender to United States forces.
==
===Ground Self Defense Force===
{{main|Japanese Ground Self Defense Force}}
Article 9 of the Japanese constitution renounced the right to use force as a means of resolving disputes.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 471.</ref> This was enacted by the Japanese in order to prevent militarism, which had led to conflict. However, in 1947 the Public Security Force formed; later in 1954, with the early stages of the Cold War, the Public Security Force formed the basis of the newly created Ground Self Defense Force.<ref>Harries & Harries, p. 487.</ref> Although significantly smaller than the former Imperial Japanese Army and nominally for defensive purposes only, this force constitutes the modern army of Japan.
===Continued resistance===
{{Main|Japanese holdout}}
Separately, some soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army [[Japanese holdout|continued to fight on isolated Pacific islands]] until at least the 1970s, with the last known Japanese soldier surrendering in 1974.<ref>Kristof, Nicholas D. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE7D81F3BF935A1575AC0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "Shoichi Yokoi, 82, Is Dead; Japan Soldier Hid 27 Years,"] ''New York Times.'' September 26, 1997.</ref><ref>"The Last PCS for Lieutenant Onoda," ''Pacific Stars and Stripes'', March 13, 1974, p6</ref><ref name=stars>"Onoda Home; 'It Was 30 Years on Duty'," ''Pacific Stars and Stripes'', March 14, 1974, p7</ref><ref name=time>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917064,00.html?iid=chix-sphere "The Last Last Soldier?," ''TIME'', January 13, 1975]</ref>
Intelligence officer [[Hiroo Onoda]], who surrendered on [[Lubang Island]] in the [[Philippines]] in March 1974, and [[Teruo Nakamura]], who surrendered on the [[Indonesia]]n island of [[Morotai]] in December 1974, appear to have been the last confirmed holdouts.<ref name=stars/><ref name=time/>
==Ideology==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2010}}
{{off-topic|date=October 2010}}
[[Japanese nationalism]] meant that the military was built around a concept of the time period: ''a Rich Country has a Strong Military''. Nationalists asserted that Japan as a land was sacred, and its people were special due to a combination of [[Zen]]-Chan and various forms of [[Japanese Buddhism]] with [[Shinto]]. Service in the Japanese military was seen as service to the [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]]. Each soldier in theory believed it was a great honor to die for the Emperor as the samurai concept "to serve" was deeply ingrained in all the soldiers' culture.
The concept of ''[[Yamato-damashii]]'' equipped each soldier with a strict code: never be captured, never break down, and never surrender. To be a coward or to be captured was a disgrace to one's family, community, and country. Each soldier was trained to fight to the death and was expected to die before suffering dishonor. Often, imperial soldiers would shout "''[[Ten thousand years|Banzai]]''" before charging into battle, believing that the exuberant cheer would indicate their willingness to die with honor.
Every soldier accepted that they were expected to serve stoically as part of their [[bushido]], represented in the idea of "death before dishonor". [[Sadao Araki]], an Army theorist, devised the contemporary adaptation to bushido code as a [[Seishin Kyoiku]] (spiritual training) doctrine for the army. As such, each soldier would leave everything behind when going into the service, needing nothing but honor. Indeed, honor as represented by name and face meant everything to the soldiers. ''[[Yamato-damashii]]'' is an old Japanese spirit of self-pride and persistence in the face of grave danger, a sort of [[courage]].
Tied in with this concept of Bushido was immense, religious respect for the Emperor. Although during [[Meiji era|Meiji]] and [[Taishō period|Taishō]] eras, the Emperor was practically a figurehead, with the real power being held by the bureaucrats underneath him, he was still considered a divine figure. In theory the commander in chief, the Emperor usually went along with whatever the government "asked" him to do. The Emperor wore the commander-in-chief's uniform, and was saluted by the Imperial Forces, at all ceremonial functions involving the IJA forces.
At the time, the Imperial government could only mobilize the military if the cabinet ministers came to a unanimous consensus on the order. The role of the Emperor lay in giving his blessing to execute and bind such orders. Since the Emperor was required to be present at all Imperial government meetings for their decision to be binding, The Emperor silently observed all the official arguments made by the ministers. Presuming his blessing was given, after an agreement of the ministers, these requests became the orders of the Emperor, enforceable upon the people of Japan.
==
[[File:Map of Japanese Army Ground Forces in the home islands August 18 1945.jpg|thumb|Disposition of Japanese Army Ground Forces in the Homeland at the Time of Capitulation, 18 August 1945.]]
* 1870: consisted of 12,000 men.
* 1885: consisted of seven divisions including the [[Imperial Guard of Japan|Imperial Guard]] Division.
* In the early 1900s, the IJA consisted of 12 divisions, the Imperial Guard Division, and numerous other units. These contained the following:
** 380,000 active duty and 1st Reserve personnel: former Class A and B(1) conscripts after two year active tour with 17 and 1/2 year commitment
** 50,000 Second line Reserve: Same as above but former Class B(2) conscripts
** 220,000 National Army
*** 1st National Army: 37 to 40 year old men from end of 1st Reserve to 40 years old.
*** 2nd National Army: untrained 20 year olds and over 40 year old trained reserves.
** 4,250,000 men available for service and mobilization.
* 1934: army increased to 17 divisions
* 1940: 376,000 active with 2 million reserves in 31 divisions
** 2 divisions in Japan (Imperial Guard plus one other)
** 2 divisions in Korea
** 27 divisions in China and Manchuria
* In late 1941: 460,000 active in 41 divisions
** 2 divisions in Japan and Korea
** 12 divisions in [[Manchuria]]
** 27 divisions in [[China]]
** plus 59 brigade equivalents.
*** Independent brigades, Independent Mixed Brigades, Cavalry Brigades, Amphibious Brigades, Independent Mixed regiments, Independent Regiments.
* 1945: 5 million active in 145 divisions (includes three Imperial Guard), plus numerous individual units, with a large [[Volunteer Fighting Corps]].
** includes [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Service]].
* Japan Defense Army in 1945 had 55 divisions with 2 million men.
Total military in August 1945 was 6,095,000 including 676,863 Army Air Service.
==Arsenals==
The Imperial Japanese Army managed various [[Arsenal]]s:
* Japanese Army [[Sagami General Depot|Sagami Arsenal]]: with [[Mitsubishi]], developed and manufactured tanks
* Japanese Army [[Osaka Castle Park|Osaka Arsenal]]: with Mitsubishi and Hitachi manufactured tanks and artillery
* Japanese Army [[Sasebo, Nagasaki|Sasebo]] Arsenal: with Mitsubishi, manufactured tanks
* Japanese Army [[Pyongyang|Heijo]] Arsenal: with [[Kijiro Nambu|Nambu]], manufactured hand and long [[infantry]] weapons
* Japanese Army [[Shenyang|Mukden]] Arsenal: with Nambu, manufactured infantry weapons
* Japanese Army [[Kokura]] Arsenal: with Nambu, manufactured small arms and Machine Guns
* Japanese Army Tokyo Arsenal: the Army administrative and testing center related with light and heavy weapons production
* Japanese Army [[Tachikawa Airfield|Tachikawa Arsenal]]: dedicated to develop and manufacture [[aircraft]] for the [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Service]]
* Japanese Army Koishikawa Arsenal (Tokyo)
==Organization of the Imperial Japanese Army==
{{main|Organization of the Imperial Japanese Army}}
{{ImperialJapaneseMilitary}}
==Casualties==
Over the course of the Imperial Japanese Army's existence, millions of its soldiers were either [[death|killed]], [[wound]]ed or went [[missing in action]].
* [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874]]: 543 (12 killed in battle and 531 by disease)
* First Sino-Japanese War: The IJA suffered 13,823 dead and 3,973 wounded
* Russo-Japanese War: The number of total Japanese dead in combat is put at around 47,000, with around 80,000 if disease is included
* World War I: 1,455 Japanese were killed, mostly at the [[Battle of Tsingtao]]
* World War II:
** Deaths
*** 2,566,000 Imperial Armed Forces dead including non-combat deaths (includes 1,506,000 killed in action),
*** 672,000 known civilian dead,
** 810,000 [[missing in action]] and [[presumed dead]].
** 7,500 [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]]
==See also==
* [[Artillery of Japan]]
* [[Double Leaf Society]]
* [[Ethnic Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman]]
* [[Imperial Japanese Army Uniforms]]
* [[Imperial Japanese rations]]
* [[Imperial Way Faction]] or Kodô-Ha
* [[Japanese Army and Navy Strategies for South Seas areas (1942)]]
* [[Japanese Army Railways and Shipping Section]]
* [[Japanese holdout]]s ("stragglers") who surrendered after 1945
* [[Japanese military ranks]]
** [[Army ranks of the Japanese Empire during World War II]]
** [[Marshal (Japan)]]
* [[Japanese war crimes]]
* [[Kokuryu-kai]]—The Black Dragon Society
* [[List of Bombs in use by Imperial Japanese Army]]
* [[List of Japanese Army military engineer vehicles of World War II]]
* [[List of Japanese government and military commanders of World War II]]
* [[List of Japanese military equipment of World War II]]
* [[List of Radars in use by Imperial Japanese Army]]
* [[Military Medals of Honor (Japan)]]
* [[Naval ranks of the Japanese Empire during World War II]]
* [[Rikugun Shikan Gakko]]
* [[Strike North Group]]
* [["Strike South" Group]]
* [[Tosei-Ha]]
* [[Mudan Incident of 1871]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}
==
* {{cite book
| last = Bix
| first = Herbert
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| year = 2000
| chapter =
| title = Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan
| publisher = [[HarperCollinsPublishers]]
| location = New York
| isbn =
| ref = refBix
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Drea
| first = Edward J.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| year = 1998
| chapter =
| title = In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army
| publisher = [[University of Nebraska Press]]
| location = Nebraska
| isbn = 0-8032-1708-0
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Drea
| first = Edward J.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| year = 2009
| chapter =
| title = Japan's Imperial Army: Its Rise and Fall, 1853-1945
| publisher = [[University Press of Kansas]]
| location = Lawrence, Kansas
| isbn = 0-8032-1708-0
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Gilmore
| first = Allison B.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| year = 1998
| chapter =
| title = You Can't Fight Tanks with Bayonets: Psychological Warfare against the Japanese Army in the South West Pacific
| publisher = University of Nebraska Press
| location = Lincoln, Nebraska
| isbn =
| ref = refGilmore
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Harries
| first = Meirion
| authorlink =
| coauthors = Susie Harries
| year = 1994
| chapter =
| title = Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army
| publisher = [[Random House]]
| location = New York
| isbn = 0-679-75303-6
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Hayashi
| first = Saburo
| authorlink =
| coauthors = Alvin D. Cox
| year = 1959
| chapter =
| title = Kogun: The Japanese Army in the Pacific War
| publisher = The Marine Corps Association
| location = Quantico, VA
| id =
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Humphreys
| first = Leonard A.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| year = 1996
| chapter =
| title = The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920's
| publisher = [[Stanford University Press]]
| location =
| isbn = 0-8047-2375-3
}}
* {{cite book|last=Jowett|first=Philip|title=The Japanese Army 1931–45 (1)|year=2002|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Botley, Oxford|isbn=1841763535}}
* {{cite book
| last = Kelman
| first = Richard
| authorlink =
| coauthors = Leo J. Daugherty
| year = 2002
| chapter =
| title = Fighting Techniques of a Japanese Infantryman in World War II: Training, Techniques and Weapons
| publisher = Zenith Imprint
| location =
| isbn = 0-7603-1145-5
| ref = refKelman
}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Imperial Japanese Army}}
* [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=890 Axis History Factbook—Imperial Japanese Army (IJA)]
* [http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/ Overview of Imperial Japanese Army weapons and armaments in World War II]
* [http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/japan/warposters/JapaneseWarposters.html Japanese war posters]
* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pacific/index.html The PBS program "Victory in the Pacific."]
* [http://www.ija3platoon.com/ Imperial Japanese Army 3rd Platoon reenactor's resource]
*{{cite web
| last = Chen
| first = Peter
| url = http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=339&list=Ground
| title = Horii, Tomitaro
| work = WW2 Database
}}
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