264:
239:
219:
791:
807:
799:
25:
148:
533:
761:
men made their way onto an outside ledge overlooking the ocean, on which a white cloth had been laid over a quilt. Handed a knife by an aide
Ushijima shouted and made a deep vertical cut in his bared abdomen before Captain Sakaguchi (who was regarded as a master swordsman) decapitated him with his sword. Cho followed Ushijima and the bodies of both men were buried by three orderlies in shallow graves.
772:
The bodies of
Ushijima, and Cho, were buried under U.S. military auspices on 27 June 1945 near the cave where they died in the last hours of fighting on Okinawa. "The bodies of the two Japanese generals were lowered into graves almost above their cave headquarters which was sealed during the American
677:
However, he was less successful in his efforts to evacuate the remainder of the civilian population to the largely uninhabited northern half of the island due to lack of food supplies, malaria, and the need to conscript many able-bodied civilians to assist in the construction of trenches, bunkers and
764:
Their deaths were witnessed by Yahara, who was the most senior officer captured by
American forces. Yahara had asked Ushijima for permission to commit suicide, but the general refused his request, saying, "If you die there will be no one left who knows the truth about the battle of Okinawa. Bear the
496:
and became an instructor at the Army
Infantry School in August 1920. When he was promoted to major in 1924, he took command of the IJA 43rd Infantry Battalion. In April 1925, he was assigned to his alma mater, Daiichi Kagoshima Junior High School as part of an experiment conducted by the Minister of
760:
Later in the early hours of 22 June the staff in the command post lined up to pay their respects to
Ushijima who was attired in his full dress uniform and Cho who wore a white kimono. Cho volunteered to go first and lead the way, "as the way may be dark,” but Ushijima insisted on going first. The
728:
Realizing that the end of the battle was fast approaching
Ushijima pledged in a farewell message to the Imperial headquarters that he would direct a final last stand “in which I will apologize to the emperor with my own death.” On the 18 June he directed his troops to make their way in small groups
709:
This defensive line lacked the carefully prepared underground defenses of the Shuri Line, and became a fragmented grouping of isolated defensive positions. Ushijima and Cho retreated to Hill 89 at the south coast. The command and control of the remnants of the 32nd Army soon quickly deteriorated as
705:
against the invading
American forces. After an offensive action urged by Cho led to a near massacre of the attacking Japanese troops by superior American firepower, and the turning of the Shuri Line by the American forces, he led a successful withdrawal of his troops to the extreme south of the
757:(ritual suicide) and on the night of their planned departure held a banquet in the cave housing the command post with a large meal prepared by Ushijima's cook, Tetsuo Nakamutam, which was complemented with plenty of sake and Cho's remaining stock of captured Black & White Scotch whisky.
625:. He was removed from his position in April 1942 for fear that he would influence his students and subordinates with ideas contrary to official government policy. However, Ushijima was reinstated instead as commandant of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, largely at the recommendation of
637:. Ushijima felt that students at the Army Academy had become arrogant and "drunk with a sense of victory" after the fall of Singapore, and warned his students that the abundant natural resources and industrial capacity of the United States should not be underestimated.
440:, but when his father died shortly after Ushijima was born, his mother moved the family back to Kagoshima. He graduated from school with honors and decided to follow in his father's footsteps for a military career. Ushijima graduated from the 20th class of the
669:
incident, in which over 1600 civilians, many of them children, perished on an evacuation vessel sunk by an
American submarine, caused a panic. Nevertheless, Ushijima managed to evacuate 80,000 people from Okinawa and about 30,000 people from the
739:
The battlefield is now in such chaos that all communications have ceased. It is impossible for me to command you. Every man in these fortifications will follow his superior officer’s order and fight to the end for the sake of the motherland.
620:
in
December 1941 caught Ushijima by surprise and he was vocal in his opposition to war with the United States, which he felt would only prolong the war in China and would weaken Japan against what he perceived to be Japan's true enemy, the
519:
in 1936, he was away in China on a business trip, and returned only after the rebellion was suppressed. However, he was selected to command the disgraced IJA 1st
Infantry Regiment, which was sent to northern
776:
Ushijima was described as a humane man who discouraged his senior officers from striking his subordinates and who disliked displays of anger because he considered it a base emotion. American historian
504:, and in 1932 became commandant of the elite Army's Toyama School, and was promoted to colonel. Around this time, young officers were increasingly influenced by the ultra right-wing writings of
497:
the Army, Kazunari Ugaki to provide basic military education to students at universities, junior high schools, and normal schools nationwide. Ushijima stayed in this position for three years.
918:
485:, where his duty was to coordinate the dispatch of troops and to arrange transportation of supplies. He was promoted to captain later that year. On his return to Japan, he was awarded the
1213:
1208:
1163:
552:-based IJA 23rd Infantry Regiment and the Kagoshima-based IJA 45th Infantry Regiment. The 36th Brigade departed Kagoshima in early August 1937 and took up positions at the
575:. Although greatly outnumbered, Ushijima fought a series of battles from August 30 through September 13, breaking through the Chinese lines, and reaching the outskirts of
263:
725:
By middle June the 32nd Army was effectively reduced to occupying two strongpoints, one beneath Kunishi Ridge and the other, the command headquarters inside Hill 89.
1183:
1178:
582:
The IJA 36th Brigade then assisted in breaking the deadlock in Shanghai and captured a large number of Chinese soldiers and their weapons fleeing the city for
508:, often talked about politics, but Ushijima strongly instructed instructors and students to concentrate on military service and publicly denounced Kita Ikka.
1173:
663:. Ushijima's arrival with a large number of reinforcements made the evacuation more difficult as many civilians gained a false sense of security, while the
515:. During this time, political factionalism within the army was at its worst and Ushijima strove to avoid association with any faction. At the time of the
710:
communication with the last defensive positions was cut. Record numbers of Japanese prisoners surrendered; many were Okinawan volunteers or conscripts.
640:
Ushijima's warnings were prophetic, and despite his stated desire to remain an educator, he was ordered to take command of the newly formed 120,000 man
1203:
1198:
500:
In 1928, Ushijima was promoted to lieutenant colonel and commander of the IJA 23rd Infantry Regiment. In 1930, he became chief-of-staff of
432:
and later a career officer in the early Imperial Japanese Army. He was the fourth son, and one of his elder brothers served as governor of
750:
General Cho added a postscript on the order, in red ink ”Do not suffer the shame of being taken prisoner. You will live for eternity.”
736:
You have fought courageously for nearly three months. You have discharged your duty. Your bravery and loyalty brighten the future.
579:
by October 14, albeit with heavy casualties. Ushijima was noted for leading from the front lines, regardless of the personal risk.
1188:
602:
280:
89:
880:
564:
61:
321:
407:
during the final stages of the war. Ushijima's troops were defeated, and at the end of the battle he committed suicide.
68:
828:
1055:
1015:
960:
927:
613:, on the Soviet border. he returned to Japan in October 1941 as Commandant of the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy.
108:
42:
75:
765:
temporary shame but endure it. This is an order from your army commander." Yahara later authored a book entitled
1193:
1074:
1034:
441:
46:
729:
through enemy lines and join guerrilla groups in northern Okinawa. He then followed it with his final order:
57:
713:
Ushijima refused a plea via leaflets dropped on Japanese positions on the 11 June from the American General
790:
356:
1168:
641:
400:
285:
714:
690:
798:
541:
486:
455:
392:
361:
306:
806:
35:
1127:
549:
469:
In August 1918, Ushijima was assigned to the staff of the Japanese Expeditionary Force based at
1153:
617:
493:
451:
244:
701:, who was pursuing a more aggressive policy encouraged by the Army General Staff in Tokyo for
82:
1101:
697:; however, he was constantly undermined by insubordination by his second in command, General
474:
301:
689:
Ushijima led a skillful defense of the island based on a defense in depth as planned by his
1158:
1148:
913:
516:
512:
501:
421:
181:
8:
678:
other defensive works, including his command headquarters in a network of tunnels under
1004:
656:
598:
459:
433:
205:
896:
1070:
1051:
1045:
1030:
1011:
956:
949:
923:
876:
777:
482:
404:
326:
979:, Florence, South Carolina, Thursday 28 June 1945, Volume XXII, Number 455, page 1.
694:
463:
671:
591:
568:
548:
and appointed commander of the IJA 36th Infantry Brigade, which consisted of the
224:
201:
185:
630:
652:
645:
429:
1142:
832:
702:
683:
665:
626:
545:
122:
944:
679:
622:
576:
571:'s elite Chinese 14th Army, which were threatening Japanese positions near
553:
396:
311:
446:
634:
590:, where it overwintered. From July 1938, the brigade participated in the
511:
From 1933 to 1936, Ushijima served in administrative postings within the
470:
316:
1114:
780:
regarded Ushijima as the greatest Japanese general of the Pacific War.
655:, had begun to implement a plan to evacuate the civilian population of
560:
919:
The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945
698:
610:
521:
505:
478:
177:
24:
572:
532:
147:
1027:(陸海軍将官人事総覧 (陸軍篇)) Army and Navy General Personnel Directory (Army)
875:(Paperback). New York: Hachette. pp. 276, 303–305, 308–310.
754:
583:
425:
330:
267:
126:
597:
In March 1939, he was ordered back to Japan and was promoted to
660:
897:"The Gory Way Japanese Generals Ended Their Battle on Okinawa"
606:
437:
587:
444:
in 1908 with honors, and was noted for his mastery of the
1214:
Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class
1067:(日本陸海軍総合事典) Japanese Army and Navy General Encyclopedia
794:
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1940)
942:
1209:
Recipients of the Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class
1164:
Japanese military personnel of the Russian Civil War
975:
Dopking, Al, "Jap Officers Buried By U. S. Forces",
686:. Ushijima was promoted to full general on June 20.
601:
in August. In December, he was given command of the
492:In April 1919, Ushijima served as commander of the
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1003:
948:
810:Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1944)
1140:
1184:Japanese military personnel who died by suicide
1179:Imperial Japanese Army generals of World War II
384:
567:to advance and destroy the three divisions of
378:
1088:. Quantico, VA: The Marine Corps Association.
391:was a Japanese general who served during the
1174:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun
524:as punishment for its role in the uprising.
1086:Kogun: The Japanese Army in the Pacific War
1083:
802:Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class (1940)
454:. He graduated from the 28th class of the
146:
866:
864:
862:
860:
858:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1024:
852:Ammenthorp, The Generals of World War II
531:
399:. He was the commanding general of the
870:
753:Ushijima and Cho had decided to commit
458:in 1916, where his classmates included
1141:
1099:
1043:
912:
855:
769:, describing Ushijima's last moments.
633:, who shared his misgivings about the
1204:Suicides by sharp instrument in Japan
1001:
1199:Seppuku from Meiji period to present
1084:Hayashi, Saburo; Cox, Alvin (1959).
1064:
586:. In December, the brigade captured
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
988:『官報』第5306号「叙任及辞令」September 19, 1944
322:Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign
13:
1006:Encyclopedia of Military Biography
644:, charged with the defense of the
14:
1225:
1112:
1093:
605:and assigned to garrison duty in
1125:
805:
797:
789:
674:prior to the American invasion.
262:
237:
217:
23:
1119:Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
995:
895:Rothman, Lily (June 22, 2015).
527:
415:
34:needs additional citations for
982:
969:
955:. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
936:
906:
889:
846:
821:
783:
442:Imperial Japanese Army Academy
424:, where his father had been a
389:, 31 July 1887 – 22 June 1945)
1:
1189:Nanjing Massacre perpetrators
1069:. Tokyo: St. Martin's Press.
922:. Random House. p. 723.
814:
1106:The Generals of World War II
410:
357:Order of the Sacred Treasure
16:Japanese general (1887–1945)
7:
1102:"Ushijima Mitsuru, General"
1010:. I B Tauris & Co Ltd.
648:against American invasion.
544:, Ushijima was promoted to
385:
10:
1230:
1050:. London: Arms and Armor.
1047:Shokan: Hirohito's Samurai
559:He was ordered by General
436:. The family relocated to
120:
1025:Fukagawa, Hideki (1981).
1002:Dupuy, Trevor N. (1992).
715:Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.
536:Ushijima as major general
379:
349:
294:
273:
258:
250:
230:
212:
191:
164:
158:
154:
145:
138:
1044:Fuller, Richard (1992).
871:Wheelan, Joseph (2020).
743:This is my final order.
720:
542:Second Sino-Japanese War
487:Order of the Golden Kite
393:Second Sino-Japanese War
362:Order of the Golden Kite
307:Second Sino-Japanese War
1065:Hata, Ikuhiko (2005).
951:The Battle for Okinawa
767:The Battle for Okinawa
748:
733:“My beloved Soldiers;
618:attack on Pearl Harbor
540:With the start of the
537:
452:Japanese swordsmanship
403:, which fought in the
245:Imperial Japanese Army
1194:People from Kagoshima
1029:. Tokyo: Fuyo Shobo.
977:Florence Morning News
831:. PBS. Archived from
731:
659:to mainland Japan or
535:
475:Siberian Intervention
420:Ushijima was born in
302:Siberian Intervention
251:Years of service
517:February 26 incident
502:Shimonoseki Fortress
43:improve this article
1128:"Ushijima, Mitsuru"
1115:"Ushijima, Mitsuru"
1100:Ammenthorp, Steen.
943:Yahara, Hiromichi;
556:in northern China.
494:4th Guards Regiment
829:"The War: Okinawa"
599:lieutenant general
538:
481:forces during the
460:Tomoyuki Yamashita
456:Army Staff College
434:Ibaraki Prefecture
428:in the service of
286:Thirty-Second Army
58:"Mitsuru Ushijima"
1169:Battle of Okinawa
882:978-0-306-90320-5
778:Hanson W. Baldwin
651:His predecessor,
603:IJA 11th Division
483:Russian Civil War
405:Battle of Okinawa
371:
370:
327:Battle of Okinawa
119:
118:
111:
93:
1221:
1135:
1122:
1109:
1089:
1080:
1061:
1040:
1021:
1009:
989:
986:
980:
973:
967:
966:
954:
945:Gibney, Frank B.
940:
934:
933:
910:
904:
893:
887:
886:
868:
853:
850:
844:
843:
841:
840:
825:
809:
801:
793:
695:Hiromichi Yahara
565:IJA 6th Division
464:Shizuichi Tanaka
390:
388:
386:Ushijima Mitsuru
382:
381:
374:Mitsuru Ushijima
335:
266:
243:
241:
240:
232:
223:
221:
220:
198:
174:
172:
150:
140:Mitsuru Ushijima
136:
135:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1229:
1228:
1224:
1223:
1222:
1220:
1219:
1218:
1139:
1138:
1096:
1077:
1058:
1037:
1018:
998:
993:
992:
987:
983:
974:
970:
963:
941:
937:
930:
911:
907:
894:
890:
883:
869:
856:
851:
847:
838:
836:
827:
826:
822:
817:
786:
773:flag service."
723:
672:Yaeyama Islands
592:Battle of Wuhan
569:Chiang Kai-shek
530:
418:
413:
376:
367:
345:
331:
290:
238:
236:
225:Empire of Japan
218:
216:
200:
196:
176:
170:
168:
160:
141:
134:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1227:
1217:
1216:
1211:
1206:
1201:
1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1151:
1137:
1136:
1123:
1110:
1095:
1094:External links
1092:
1091:
1090:
1081:
1075:
1062:
1056:
1041:
1035:
1022:
1016:
997:
994:
991:
990:
981:
968:
961:
935:
928:
905:
888:
881:
873:Bloody Okinawa
854:
845:
819:
818:
816:
813:
812:
811:
803:
795:
785:
782:
722:
719:
717:to surrender.
691:chief of staff
653:Masao Watanabe
646:Ryukyu Islands
529:
526:
430:Satsuma Domain
422:Kagoshima city
417:
414:
412:
409:
369:
368:
366:
365:
359:
353:
351:
347:
346:
344:
343:
342:
341:
340:
339:
338:
337:
309:
304:
298:
296:
292:
291:
289:
288:
283:
277:
275:
271:
270:
260:
256:
255:
252:
248:
247:
234:
228:
227:
214:
210:
209:
199:(aged 57)
193:
189:
188:
166:
162:
161:
156:
152:
151:
143:
142:
139:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1226:
1215:
1212:
1210:
1207:
1205:
1202:
1200:
1197:
1195:
1192:
1190:
1187:
1185:
1182:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1154:1945 suicides
1152:
1150:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1133:
1129:
1126:Chen, Peter.
1124:
1120:
1116:
1113:Budge, Kent.
1111:
1107:
1103:
1098:
1097:
1087:
1082:
1078:
1072:
1068:
1063:
1059:
1057:1-85409-151-4
1053:
1049:
1048:
1042:
1038:
1032:
1028:
1023:
1019:
1017:1-85043-569-3
1013:
1008:
1007:
1000:
999:
985:
978:
972:
964:
962:0-471-18080-7
958:
953:
952:
946:
939:
931:
929:0-8129-6858-1
925:
921:
920:
915:
909:
902:
898:
892:
884:
878:
874:
867:
865:
863:
861:
859:
849:
835:on 2017-03-16
834:
830:
824:
820:
808:
804:
800:
796:
792:
788:
787:
781:
779:
774:
770:
768:
762:
758:
756:
751:
747:
744:
741:
737:
734:
730:
726:
718:
716:
711:
707:
704:
700:
696:
692:
687:
685:
681:
675:
673:
668:
667:
666:Tsushima Maru
662:
658:
654:
649:
647:
643:
638:
636:
632:
628:
627:Kenji Doihara
624:
619:
614:
612:
608:
604:
600:
595:
593:
589:
585:
580:
578:
574:
570:
566:
562:
557:
555:
551:
547:
546:major general
543:
534:
525:
523:
518:
514:
513:Army Ministry
509:
507:
503:
498:
495:
490:
489:, 5th class.
488:
484:
480:
476:
472:
467:
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
448:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
408:
406:
402:
398:
394:
387:
375:
363:
360:
358:
355:
354:
352:
348:
336:
334:
328:
325:
324:
323:
320:
319:
318:
315:
314:
313:
310:
308:
305:
303:
300:
299:
297:
293:
287:
284:
282:
281:11th Division
279:
278:
276:
272:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
246:
235:
229:
226:
215:
211:
207:
203:
195:June 22, 1945
194:
190:
187:
183:
179:
175:July 31, 1887
167:
163:
157:
153:
149:
144:
137:
132:
128:
124:
123:Japanese name
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1132:WW2 Database
1131:
1118:
1105:
1085:
1066:
1046:
1026:
1005:
996:Bibliography
984:
976:
971:
950:
938:
917:
914:Toland, John
908:
900:
891:
872:
848:
837:. Retrieved
833:the original
823:
775:
771:
766:
763:
759:
752:
749:
745:
742:
738:
735:
732:
727:
724:
712:
708:
703:mass attacks
688:
680:Shuri Castle
676:
664:
650:
639:
631:Otozō Yamada
623:Soviet Union
615:
596:
581:
577:Shijiazhuang
558:
554:Shanhai Pass
539:
528:World War II
510:
499:
491:
468:
445:
419:
416:Early career
397:World War II
373:
372:
332:
312:World War II
295:Battles/wars
197:(1945-06-22)
130:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1159:1945 deaths
1149:1887 births
784:Decorations
635:Pacific War
473:during the
471:Vladivostok
364:(2nd class)
317:Pacific War
254:1908 – 1945
155:Native name
1143:Categories
1076:4130301357
1036:4829500026
839:2009-09-09
815:References
693:, Colonel
561:Hisao Tani
550:Miyakonojō
450:school of
213:Allegiance
171:1887-07-31
99:March 2020
69:newspapers
746:Farewell”
699:Isamu Cho
642:32nd Army
611:Manchukuo
522:Manchukuo
506:Kita Ikki
479:Bolshevik
447:Jigen-ryū
411:Biography
401:32nd Army
182:Kagoshima
178:Kagoshima
947:(1995).
916:(1970).
706:island.
573:Badaling
477:against
274:Commands
231:Service/
131:Ushijima
121:In this
755:Seppuku
657:Okinawa
584:Nanjing
563:of the
426:samurai
333:†
268:General
208:, Japan
206:Okinawa
127:surname
83:scholar
1073:
1054:
1033:
1014:
959:
926:
879:
661:Taiwan
350:Awards
329:
242:
233:branch
222:
202:Itoman
125:, the
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
721:Death
607:Hulin
438:Tokyo
186:Japan
90:JSTOR
76:books
1071:ISBN
1052:ISBN
1031:ISBN
1012:ISBN
957:ISBN
924:ISBN
901:Time
877:ISBN
684:Naha
629:and
616:The
588:Wuhu
462:and
395:and
380:牛島 満
259:Rank
192:Died
165:Born
159:牛島 満
62:news
682:in
129:is
45:by
1145::
1130:.
1117:.
1104:.
899:.
857:^
609:,
594:.
466:.
383:,
204:,
184:,
180:,
1134:.
1121:.
1108:.
1079:.
1060:.
1039:.
1020:.
965:.
932:.
903:.
885:.
842:.
377:(
173:)
169:(
133:.
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
