Heisuke Yanagawa

Infobox Military Person
name= Heisuke Yanagawa
lived= 2 October 1879 - 22 January 1945
placeofbirth=Nagasaki prefecture, Japan
placeofdeath=


caption=General Heisuke Yanagawa
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=
serviceyears=1900 -1945
rank=General
commands=IJA 1st Division, Taiwan Army, IJA 10th Army
unit=
battles= Russo-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
World War II
awards=
family=
laterwork=Minister of Justice nihongo|Heisuke Yanagawa|柳川平助|Yanagawa Heisuke|extra=2 October 1879 - 22 January 1945 was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.

Biography

Born in what is now part of Nagasaki city, Nagasaki prefecture, Yanagawa was raised in Oita Prefecture by his adoptive parents. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1900, and served in combat during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. He graduated from the Army Staff College in 1912. He was appointed a military attaché to China and served as an instructor at the Beijing Army College in 1918. He later traveled to Europe as part of Japan’s delegation to the Versailles Peace Treaty negotiations, and from 1920-1923 was a member of Japan’s delegation to the League of Nations. [Dupuy, Encyclopedia of Military Biography]

Around this time, he became involved in internal politics within the Japanese Army, and joined the Kodaha Faction, led by Sadao Araki, Jinsaburo Mazaki and Hideyoshi Obata.

From 1923-1925, Yanagawa was a cavalry officer, and rose steadily through the ranks from commanding the IJA 20th Cavalry Regiment in 1923, the IJA 1st Cavalry Brigade by 1927, the Cavalry School from 1929, to Inspector-General of Cavalry in 1930. He was promoted to lieutenant general in December 1931.

From 1932-1934, Yanagawa served as Vice-Minister of War. He was subsequently given a field posting as commander of the prestigious IJA 1st Division from 1934-1935. He commanded the Taiwan Army of Japan from 1935-1936, before his retirement on 26 September 1936. [Ammenthorp, The Generals of World War II]

However, with the Second Sino-Japanese War, Yanagawa was recalled to active service and assigned command of the IJA 10th Army in China from 1937-1938. The 10th Army comprised the 18th and 114th divisions from Japan, the IJA 6th Division from North China, and the Kunisaki Detachment of the IJA 5th Division, and landed in Hangzhou on 5 November 1937.

Yanagawa led his troops in pursuit of fleeting Chinese forces from the Shanghai area, and was in command of one of the main Japanese columns at the Battle of Nanjing. His troops were later implicated in the Nanjing Massacre, but Yanagawa was repelled by the events. [Iris Chang, The Rape of Nanking]

Yanagawa retired again from active military service in 1938, becoming Chief of the General Affairs Bureau, Asia Development Board. Under the political patronage of Baron Hiranuma Kiichirō, and with support from the "zaibatsu" groups, he took over the Justice Ministry from Akira Kazami. During this post in government he led the Keishicho (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).

Yanagawa was a supporter of State Shintoism, along with General Kuniaki Koiso and Hiranuma Kiichirō, and in the creation of the Shintoist Rites Research Council. He was also a leader in the "Taisei Yokusankai" (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) group.

References

Books

*cite book
last = Dupuy
first = Trevor N.
year = 1992
title = Encyclopedia of Military Biography
publisher = I B Tauris & Co Ltd
location =
id = ISBN 1-85043-569-3
*cite book
last = Chang
first = Iris
coauthors =
year = 1998
title = The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II
publisher = Penguin
location =
id = ISBN: 0140277447
*cite book
last = Dorn
first = Frank
coauthors =
year = 1974
title = The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor
publisher = MacMillan.
location =
id = ISBN: 0025322001
*cite book
last = Tanaka
first = Masaaki
coauthors =
year = 1998
title = What Really Happened in Nanking
publisher = Sekai Shuppan
location =
id = ISBN: 4916079078

External links

*cite web
last = Ammenthorp
first = Steen
url = http://www.generals.dk/general/Yanagawa/Heisuke/Japan.html
title = Yanagawa Heisuke
work = The Generals of World War II

Notes