Joichiro Sanada
Encyclopedia
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Throughout much of the war, Sanada was an important and influential officer on the staff of the Imperial General Headquarters
Imperial General Headquarters
The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime...

 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

.

Biography

A native of what is now Bibai, Hokkaidō
Bibai, Hokkaido
is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 27,399 and the density of 98.7 persons per km². The total area is 277.61 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1950.- External links :...

, Sanada graduated from Sapporo South High School
Sapporo South High School
Hokkaido Sapporo Minami High School is a high school in Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, founded in 1895...

 and the army cadet school in Sendai before being accepted into the 31st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. He served in the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

, and subsequently graduated from the 39th class of the Army Staff College
Army War College (Japan)
The ; Short form: of the Empire of Japan was founded in 1882 in Minato, Tokyo to modernize and Westernize the Imperial Japanese Army. Much of the empire's elite including prime ministers during the period of Japanese militarism were graduates of the college....

 in 1927. He served with the Tokyo Defense Headquarters in his early career, and held a number of staff assignments at the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He was sent as a military attache to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 from 1936-1937. After his return to Japan, from 1938–1939, he was Secretary to the Minister of War
Ministry of War of Japan
The , more popularly known as the Ministry of War of Japan, was cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Army...

. From 1939-1940, he briefly held a field command (IJA 86th Infantry Regiment) before his appointment as Army Liaison Officer to the Japanese China Area Fleet
IJN 3rd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was created on six separate occasions.-Russo-Japanese War:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for...

 from 1940-1941.

Sanada was a strong supporter of Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...

's rise to the position of prime minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...

 in the Japanese government, and served in various senior positions within the Army General Staff during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. In the closing days of the war, he became Chief of Staff of the Second General Army.
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