Japan

Alliance Axis - Major Member Nation
Entry into WW2 7 Jul 1937
Population in 1939 71,380,000
Military Deaths in WW2 2,000,000
Civilian Deaths in WW2 600,000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseDuring WW1, the Japanese military seized German colonies in China and in the Pacific, and after the war the western powers allowed Japan to keep the territories, thus recognizing Japan as a regional power. China, which was on the victors' side, protested against this betrayal, but to little effect as Japan would continue to assert effective control over Shandong Province through WW2. During the 1920s and 1930s, military leaders slowly gained political power in Japan. They convinced the country that democracy was divisive, and that Japan, which had been viewed as a second-rate power, deserved to be on-par with western powers such as the France, United Kingdom, and the United States.

ww2dbaseIn 1928, assassins dispatched by the Japanese Army took the life of Chinese warlord Zhang Zuolin in northeastern China. When Zhang's son and successor Zhang Xueliang unexpectedly emerged to be an anti-Japanese and pro-Nationalist figure, Japanese troops marched into northeastern China. Japan appeased the League of Nations with promises of withdraw, but in actuality the plans to establish a puppet state were already in the works. Manchukuo was established on 18 Feb 1932 under the leadership of deposed Chinese Emperor Puyi. To distract the League of Nations from the events in northeastern China, Japan instigated the First Battle of Shanghai in Jan 1932. Angered by continued international condemnation, Japan left the League of Nations in 1933. Between that time and the formal start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 Jul 1937, several small scale engagements took place between Japan and China. In 1937, the already deadly on-going conflict between China and Japan officially escalated into a full scale war, thus making Japan the aggressor that started WW2 in Asia, more than two years prior to the German-Soviet joint invasion of Poland that started the European War. On 27 Sep 1940, Japan, Germany, and Italy signed the Axis Pact. In Jul 1941, after a series of events that worsened relations between the United States and Japan, the US announced the embargo of key raw materials, including oil, against Japan; other western powers followed suit. This was the point of no return for Japan for that it gave fuel to the hawks in Japan's top leadership.

ww2dbaseIn Dec 1941, after China, Europe, and North Africa were already engulfed in war for at least two years, Japan made WW2 a truly global war by starting the Pacific War with a raid on Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. In a series of wildly successful attacks, Japan wiped out any force that could pose immediate threat to her in the Pacific in a handful of months. By mid-1942, Japanese military reached as far southwest as Burma and Malaya and as far south as New Guinea, an empire of staggering size.

ww2dbaseJapan's luck began to turn in 1942, however. The war in China seemed to be progressing slowly, but it was becoming evident that China was so large a territory to conquer that it was sucking in more resources than Japan wished to devote to. With a series of strategic losses in the Pacific such as Battle of Coral Sea (failure to secure Port Moresby), Battle of Midway (loss of four fleet carriers, along with irreplaceable aircraft and crew), and the Guadalcanal Campaign (a series of battles that unwisely frittered away Japan's strength), Japan suddenly found herself losing the initiative. Last but not least, Japan became a victim of her own success. With territory so vast, her own shipping capacity was no longer capable to adequately supply all the faraway garrisons and expeditionary forces. Finally, over time, with an inability to replace machines of war and trained men to operate them, the war pushed closer and closer to her. The loss of Saipan was the first devastating piece of news. Then came the loss of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, islands that were considered part of the home islands.

ww2dbaseFrom this point on, it was only the matter of time before Japan acknowledged defeat. While Japanese leaders negotiated for truce unsuccessfully, the incessant bombings turned some Japanese cities into towering infernos. Then, the new atomic weapon the United States unleashed on Hiroshima shocked the world. Japan was now on the verge of admitting surrender unconditionally, but perhaps due to shock, no official reaction was sent to the Allied powers. Finally, on 8 Aug 1945, Russia (whom Japan viewed as relatively friendly) declared war on Japan, invading Manchukuo, and a second atomic bomb destroyed Nagasaki. It was not until then that, Emperor Showa interfered with the government and brought Japan to surrender. On 14 Aug 1945, in a surprising move, Emperor Showa announced the surrender personally over public radio.

ww2dbaseAt the end of the war, Japan was stripped of all of her overseas possessions, and the home islands were occupied by Allied personnel headed by US General Douglas MacArthur. Japan did not regain her sovereignty until Apr 1952.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

People
Abe, HiroakiKaku, TomeoOzawa, Jisaburo
Abe, NobuyukiKaneko, TadashiPaik, Sun-yup
Adachi, HatazoKaneko, YasujiRoh, Yong-U
Akiyama, KanemasaKanno, NaoshiSaito, Yoshitsugu
Amagai, TakahisaKasai, TomokazuSakai, Saburo
Anabuki, SatoruKashimura, KanichiSakai, Takashi
Anami, KorechikaKatsumata, SeizoSasai, Junichi
Ando, RikichiKido, KoichiSasaki, Noboru
Aoki, TaijiroKim, Chang-RyongSato, Shunji
Aono, ToshioKitagawa, MasatakaSejima, Ryuzo
Araki, YukioKitano, MasajiSeki, Yukio
Ariga, KosakuKobayashi, AsasaburoShigemitsu, Mamoru
Ariizumi, TatsunosukeKobayashi, MichioShima, Kiyohide
Arima, MasafumiKobe, YujiShinozaki, Mamoru
Arita, HachiroKodaira, YoshinaoShinozuka, Yoshio
Attun, PalalinKoga, MineichiShioden, Nobutaka
Chikao, YasunoKoiso, KuniakiShiozawa, Koichi
Chung, Il-kwonKoizumi, ChikahikoShiraichi, Kayutaka
Daigo, TadashigeKondo, MasaichiShirakawa, Yoshinori
Doihara, KenjiKondo, NobutakeShiratori, Toshio
Fuchida, MitsuoKonoe, FumimaroShowa
Fujita, NobuoKoo, Hsien-JungSoji, Akira
Fukudome, ShigeruKotohitoSugihara, Chiune
Furusho, MikioKoyanagi, TomijiSugiyama, Hajime
Genda, MinoruKudo, ChuSuzuki, Kantaro
Goto, AritomoKuribayashi, TadamichiTak, Kyonghyong
Hamazono, ShigeyoshiKurita, TakeoTakagi, Takeo
Hara, ChuichiKurusu, SaburoTakahito
Hara, TameichiKusaka, JinichiTamai, Asaichi
Harada, KanameKusaka, RyunosukeTanabe, Yahachi
Hareyama, YoshioKuwahara, TadaoTanaka, Raizo
Hasegawa, KiichiMaruyama, MasaoTanaka, Shizuichi
Hashimoto, MochitsuraMatsuda, ChiakiTani, Hisao
Hata, ShunrokuMatsui, IwaneTatekawa, Yoshitsugu
Hattori, JojiMatsuoka, YosukeTerauchi, Hisaichi
Hiroeda, OtoemonMatsura, GoroTojo, Hideki
HironobuMikawa, GunichiTokuno, Hiroshi
Hirota, KokiMinami, JiroTomonaga, Joichi
HiroyasuMinami, YoshimiToyoda, Soemu
Homma, MasaharuMiwa, ShigeyoshiTsuji, Masanobu
Honda, MasakiMorihiroTsuneyoshi
Honjo, KiroMorimasaUeda, Kenkichi
Honjo, ShigeruMuto, AkiraUgaki, Matome
Horii, TomitaroNagahisaUmezu, Yoshijiro
Horikoshi, JiroNagano, OsamiUshijima, Mitsuru
Horiuchi, ShigetadaNagumo, ChuichiUshiroku, Jun
Hyakutake, HarukichiNaito, RyoichiWada, Minoru
Ichiki, KiyonoNambu, NobukiyoWakamatsu, Yujiro
Ihara, MitsugoNaruhikoYamada, Otozo
Iida, FusataNemoto, HiroshiYamaguchi, Moriyoshi
Imamura, HitoshiNiimi, MasaichiYamaguchi, Tamon
Inoguchi, RikiheiNishi, TakeichiYamamoto, Isoroku
Inoguchi, SatoshiNishimura, EijiYamaoka, Mineo
Inoguchi, ToshihiraNishimura, ShojiYamasaki, Yasuyo
Inoue, IsamuNishina, YoshioYamashita, Tomoyuki
Inoue, ShigeyoshiNobuhitoYanagimoto, Ryusaku
Isawa, YutakaNomura, KichisaburoYasuhiko
Isayama, HarukiObata, HideyoshiYasuhito
Ishii, ShiroOgawa, KiyoshiYi, Geon
Itagaki, SeishiroOhara, HisashiYi, U
Ito, KiyoshiOkada, JisakuYi, Un
Ito, SukemitsuOkamura, YasujiYonai, Mitsumasa
Ito, TaisukeOkumiya, MasatakeYoshida, Mitsuru
Iwakuro, HideoOmori, SentaroYoshida, Shigeru
Iwamoto, TetsuzoOnishi, TakijiroYoshikawa, Takeo
Iwasa, NaojiOshima, HiroshiYoshimura, Hisato
Kagawa, KiyotoOta, MinoruYoshioka, Yasunori


Events Taken Place in Japan
Japan's Refusal of Washington Treaty19 Dec 1934
Doolittle Raid18 Apr 1942
Greater East Asia Conference5 Nov 1943 - 6 Nov 1943
Battle of Iwo Jima19 Feb 1945 - 26 Mar 1945
Bombing of Tokyo and Other Cities19 Feb 1945 - 10 Aug 1945
Okinawa Campaign1 Apr 1945 - 21 Jun 1945
Preparations for Invasion of Japan14 Jul 1945 - 9 Aug 1945
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki6 Aug 1945 - 9 Aug 1945
Japan's Surrender14 Aug 1945 - 2 Sep 1945
Tokyo Trial and Other Trials Against Japan3 May 1946 - 12 Nov 1948


Aircraft
2MB1E13AJ9N-1/J9Y KikkaKi-34Ki-67 Hiryu
2MR8E14YK7MKi-36Ki-83
A2NE15K ShiunKDA-2Ki-4Ki-84 Hayate
A5ME16A ZuiunKi-1Ki-43 HayabusaKi-9
A6M ZeroE7KKi-10Ki-44 ShokiKi-98
A7M ReppuE8NKi-100Ki-45 ToryuKu-8
B1ME9WKi-102Ki-46M6A Seiran
B2MF1MKi-115 TsurugiKi-48 SokeiMT-1 Hayabusa
B4YG3MKi-15Ki-49 DonryuMXY7 Ohka
B5MG4MKi-2Ki-51N1K Kyofu / Shiden
B5NH6KKi-20Ki-54P1Y Ginga
B6N TenzanH8KKi-21Ki-55Type 91
B7A RyuseiJ1NKi-27Ki-56
C6N SaiunJ2M RaidenKi-30Ki-57
D3AJ7W ShindenKi-32Ki-59
D4Y SuiseiJ8M Shusui / Ki-200Ki-33Ki-61 Hien


Ships
AbukumaHikawa MaruKashiiNagaraTaiho
AganoHiryuKashimaNagara-classTaiyo
Agano-classHiyoKasugaNagatoTaiyo-class
AkagiHiyo-classKatoriNagato-classTakao
AkashiHoshoKatori-classNagatsukiTakao-class
AmagiHyugaKatsuragiNakaTakasago Maru
AmagiriI-14Kembu MaruNatoriTama
AobaI-369KikuzukiNisshinTanikaze
ArashioI-400Kinai MaruNo. 101/103-classTatsuta Maru
Arisan MaruI-400-classKinuNoshiroTatsuta
AsagumoI-401KinugasaOiTenryu
Asama MaruI-402KirishimaOnamiTenryu-class
AshigaraI-52KisoOshioTone
AtagoI-53KitakamiOyodoTone-class
Awa MaruI-58KongoRenraku-tei-classToyama Maru
ChikumaI-58/I-158Kongo-classRo-58Tsushima Maru
ChitoseI-68/I-168KumaRyuhoType A-class
Chitose-classIbukiKuma-classRyujoType B-class
ChiyodaIkazuchiKumanoSakawaType C-class
ChokaiIrakoMatsuSeisho MaruType D-class
ChuyoIseMatsu-classSendaiUnryu
Daihatsu-classIse-classMayaSendai-classUnryu-class
Fubuki-classIsuzuMichishioSettsuUnyo
FurutakaItsukushimaMikazukiShigureYahagi
Furutaka-classIwateMikumaShimakazeYamagumo
FusoIzumoMinegumoShinanoYamashiro
Fuso-classIzumo-classMogamiShinyo MaruYamato
Ha-101JintsuMogami-classShinyoYamato-class
Ha-102JunyoMontevideo MaruShinyo-classYubari
Ha-104KagaMurasameShohoYugure
Ha-19Kairyu-classMusashiShokakuYukikaze
HaguroKaiten-classMutsuShokaku-classYura
Hakusan MaruKaiyoMutsukiSoryuYuzuki
HamakazeKakoMutsuki-classSoryu-classZuiho
HarunaKamikazeMyokoSoyaZuiho-class
HatsuzakuraKamoiMyoko-classSuzukazeZuikaku
HieiKashiNachiSuzuya


Vehicles
ReuseType 4 Chi-ToType 94 Te-Ke
Sumida M.2593Type 4 Ha-ToType 95 Ha-Go/Type 2 Ka-Mi
Type 1 Chi-He/Type 3 Ka-ChiType 4 Ho-RoType 95 Kurogane
Type 1 Ho-HaType 4 Ke-NuType 97 Chi-Ha
Type 1 Ho-KiType 5 Chi-RiType 97 Te-Ke
Type 1 Ho-NiType 5 Ke-HoType 97
Type 2 Ho-IType 5 Na-ToType 98 Ke-Ni
Type 2 Ke-ToType 89 I-GoType 98 So-Da
Type 3 Chi-NuType 92 Jyu-Sokosha


Weapons
410 mm How Field GunType 26 HandgunType 93 Torpedo
80 mm Mod 99 Anti-Aircraft GunType 3 12 cm Anti-Aircraft GunType 94 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun
Arisaka Type 38 RifleType 3 120 mm Coastal Defense GunType 94 75 mm Field Gun
Arisaka Type 44 RifleType 3 8 cm Anti-Aircraft GunType 94 Handgun
Arisaka Type 99 RifleType 38 75 mm Field GunType 94 Launcher
Fu-Go Balloon BombType 4 75 mm Anti-Aircraft GunType 95 75 mm Field Gun
Murata RifleType 41 75 mm Regimental Gun Field GunType 95 Torpedo
Type 04 HandgunType 45 24 cm Howitzer Field GunType 96 15 cm Howitzer Field Gun
Type 1 37 mm Anti-Tank GunType 5 15 cm AA Anti-Aircraft GunType 96 Machine Gun
Type 1 47 mm Anti-Tank GunType 88 75 mm Anti-Aircraft GunType 97 Anti-Tank Rifle
Type 10 120 mm Anti-Aircraft GunType 89 15 cm Cannon Field GunType 97 Grenade
Type 100 Submachine GunType 89 LauncherType 97 Machine Gun
Type 11 37 mm Field GunType 91 105 mm Howitzer Field GunType 98 320 mm Launcher
Type 11 75 mm Anti-Aircraft GunType 91 40 mm Anti-Aircraft GunType 98 50 mm Launcher
Type 11 Machine GunType 91 GrenadeType 99 Machine Gun
Type 14 10 cm AA Anti-Aircraft GunType 92 10 cm Cannon Field GunType 99 Mark 1 Aircraft Autocannon
Type 14 10 cm Cannon Field GunType 92 Battalion Gun Field GunType 99 Mark 2 Aircraft Autocannon
Type 14 HandgunType 92 Machine Gun


Territories, Possessions, and Nations Under the Influence of Japan
Caroline IslandsMariana IslandsTaiwan
KoreaMarshall Islands


Facilities
Atsugi AirfieldAir Base
Fuchu PrisonPrison Camp
Haneda AirfieldAir Base
Imperial Palace ComplexGovernment Building
Ishigaki AirfieldAir Base
Kure Naval ArsenalShipyard
Maizuru Naval ArsenalShipyard
Mitsubishi Nagasaki ShipyardShipyard
No. 9 Army Technical Research LaboratoryOther
Sasebo Naval ArsenalShipyard
Yokosuka Naval ArsenalShipyard
Yontan AirfieldAir Base

Weather

WW2-Era Weather Data for Japan

Photographs

Interior of Chigusa room, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan, late 1800sInterior of Higashidamari room, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan, late 1800sInterior of Houmei room, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan, late 1800sInterior of Kiri room, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan, late 1800s
See all 1273 photographs of Japan in World War II

Maps

Map of Okinawa, JapanMap showing military installations and troops dispositions on Iwo Jima, Japan, 14 Sep 1944Contour map of Iwo Jima, showing Japanese defense installations as observed from ground study during the period of 19 Feb-19 Mar 1945, map 1 of 2Contour map of Iwo Jima, showing Japanese defense installations as observed from ground study during the period of 19 Feb-19 Mar 1945, map 2 of 2
See all 22 maps of Japan in World War II


Japan in World War II Interactive Map




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Gregg Heilman says:
7 Dec 2009 05:33:55 PM

For a good reason why the POWs of the Japanese died at a rate many times that of the POWs held by the Germans check this out.

But the Japanese did not just pick on American POWs, the killed anyone and everyone in every possible way.

Read the book "Rape of Nanjing" or Unit 731 and see what Japanese Honorable sons did to their victims. Two Japanese Lt's. had a contest to see who could behead the most Chinese POWs. It ended only when the one Lt. sword was damaged cutting a Chinese POW in half from the head down.

This site will tell you the rest of the story.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_pacific.html#Pacific
2. Anonymous says:
2 Feb 2011 10:20:42 AM

i cant find anything i need
3. Amos Shebi says:
18 Nov 2016 10:26:36 PM

Iam searching for the name of an airstrip at Choiseul islands, Solomon islands near a village call Kakaza/sobi island. This airstrip is build by Japan during WWII. Please provide details n maps etc...
4. Anonymous says:
25 Mar 2017 08:25:47 PM

the town is called Kakaza it is near a town called Luti on the south coast of Choiseul. There appears to be three (3) airfields nearby which are Japanese, these are: Ballale, with two more on the southern tip of Bougainville. This came of US Intelligence maps
5. Anonymous says:
12 Mar 2018 03:38:04 PM

Does anyone know the square mileage of Japan during WW2?
6. ivon richardsen says:
11 May 2018 06:56:26 PM

the square mileage of japan during ww2
was the same as after the war.
7. raymundo avellanosa says:
18 Jun 2018 11:22:14 AM

Good day, I have found a dog tag and a pilot sign pen belonging to a Japanese soldier of worl war II with his name engraved. M.G. K. MATSADA
8. Eddiechara says:
5 Sep 2018 11:43:41 PM

During ww2 in 1943 my uncle who is still alive now told me that he was accompanied by japan soldiers for 2 months helping the japan government and also he was awarded with one certificate during the time of japan left the place after ww2 end .
9. Anonymous says:
6 Nov 2018 04:18:36 PM

is this a primary source?
10. Edmund Cooper says:
25 Jun 2019 01:50:07 PM

Is there any information on the coastal defense forts in the Tokyo bay or in the Kyushu area? I heard that there were reports from soldiers tasked to dismantle them.
11. Anonymous says:
25 Jan 2020 06:13:41 PM

is there a data base of Japanese casualties form WWII with names listed? I have an item might want to return .
12. Anonymous says:
10 May 2020 09:02:05 AM

Japan technically entered the war on December 7, 1941 when it bombed Pearl Harbor and you could say 1937 was when the Sino-Japanese War was ignited, and when Pearl Harbor was bombed it became a usual battlefront like in Burma and Australia.
13. Anonymous says:
15 Aug 2021 08:48:03 PM

Wow - some alternative reality text description for japanese audience. Wake up n read some real history written by non-japanese.

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Japan in World War II Photo Gallery
Interior of Chigusa room, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan, late 1800s
See all 1273 photographs of Japan in World War II


Famous WW2 Quote
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James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, 23 Feb 1945


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