Anami Korechika - Anami Korechika

Army officer and Minister of the Army. Born in Tokyo. Graduated from the Army Academy and Army War College. After serving as a member of the General Staff, head of the Tokyo Cadet School, and head of the Military Affairs Bureau of the Army Ministry, he became commander of the 109th Division in November 1938 (Showa 13) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and led the battle in Shanxi Province, China. From October 1939 to April 1941, as Vice Minister of the Army, he was involved in formulating wartime national policy, centering on the total mobilization of the nation. During the Pacific War, he led operations in mainland China and northern Australia as commander of the 11th Army and the 2nd Area Army, and then became Inspector General of Air and Chief of the Air Headquarters. In April 1945, he joined the cabinet as Minister of War in the Kantaro Suzuki cabinet, and at the Supreme War Leadership Council, he took the position that "if we seek survival, there is a good chance that the war situation will improve," and he prepared for a decisive battle on the mainland, delaying the decision to surrender. On August 15 of the same year (Showa 20), he committed seppuku (disembowelment) for having misjudged the war situation.

[Ryuji Sasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陸軍軍人、陸軍大臣。東京に生まれる。陸軍士官学校、陸軍大学校卒業。参謀本部員、東京幼年学校長、陸軍省兵務局長などを経て日中戦争中の1938年（昭和13）11月、第一〇九師団長となり、中国山西(さんせい／シャンシー)省で戦闘を指揮した。1939年10月から1941年4月まで、陸軍次官として国家総動員体制を中心とする戦時国策の策定に関与した。太平洋戦争中は第一一軍司令官、第二方面軍司令官として中国大陸、北豪州で作戦を指揮し、ついで航空総監兼航空本部長となった。1945年4月、鈴木貫太郎内閣の陸相として入閣、最高戦争指導会議で、「死中活を求めれば戦局好転の公算もありうる」との立場をとり本土決戦を準備し、降伏決定を遅らせた。同年（昭和20）8月15日、戦局判断を誤ったとして割腹自殺を遂げた。

［佐々木隆爾］

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