This article provides a comprehensive overview of key leaders who played pivotal roles in Japan’s political and military governance during the Second World War. Covering influential figures from heads of state to high-ranking military officers.

Central government

Supreme head of state

President of the Imperial Council

Chairman of the Imperial Advisory Council

Imperial family members

The following were closely involved in the government and military of Japan:

Vice Chairman of the Councilors of Court

Prime Ministers

Chief Cabinet Secretary

Military Secretary to Prime Minister

Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal

Imperial Privy Council

President of Privy Council Privy Councillors

Imperial State Council

Imperial Aide to the Crown Prince

Military Aide-de-Camp

Grand Chamberlain

House of Representatives

House of Peers

Imperial Supreme War Command (1937–1945)

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Armed Imperial Forces He also led the Imperial Supreme War Council conferences and meetings, in some cases a member of the Imperial Family was sent to represent him at such strategic conferences.

Imperial General Headquarters (Dai Honei)

Established in 1937 Commander Minister of War Japanese Army Strategic Thought Group Aide to War Minister, IGHQ Staff officer IGHQ Operations Bureau's Organization and Mobilization Section, IGHQ Russian Section of Intelligence Department, IGHQ Army Inner Liaison (Army Section), Military Affairs Bureau, Army Ministry, IGHQ Imperial Japanese Army General Staff (Tokyo HQ) Army Zone Commands Army Regional Commands Army Tactical Commands General Command of Southern Army Army Tactical Commands Army High Level Inner Liaison with Army General Staff, IGHQ Minister of the Navy Japanese Navy Strategic Thinking Group Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff (Tokyo HQ) Navy General Staff of Combined Fleet (Japan, later Truk HQ) Navy Tactical Commands Navy-Army General Staff (IGHQ) Liaison Officer Inspectorate General of Military Training IGHQ Inspectorate General of Aviation IGHQ

Imperial Supreme War Council (Senso-shi-do)

Chief Secretary of Supreme War Council Supreme War Councilor Military Councilors "Imperial Throne Council of War" President of the Imperial Throne Council of War Imperial War Councilor

Home Defence

Home Defense Headquarters

** Organization**

Tokyo metropolitan area

Tokyo Divisional District

Tokyo Defense Command

Tokyo Garrison Headquarters

Tokyo Bay Fortress Detachment Officers

Maizuru Fortified Zone

Tsushima Fortress Detachment

Officer assigned to General Defense Command

Shinbu Group (Fourteenth Area Army command)

Northeastern Army District Headquarters (Japan Proper)

Northern District Army Command

Western Army District HQ

Western District Army Command

Central District Army Headquarters

Central District Army Command

Chosen Army District

War Ministries

Munitions Minister

Material Section, War Ministry

Sagami Army Arsenal

Tokyo Army Arsenal

Army Remount Department

Inspector General of Chemical Warfare

Officer in Inspectorate General

Army Section, Imperial General Headquarters

Ōita PW Internment Camp Staff

Army Allied Prisoner of War Information Bureau

Army Commanders of Military Prisons and POW Camps in occupied territories

War Minister

Deputy Minister of War

Vice-Minister of War

Secretary to the War Minister

Military Affairs Bureau, War Ministry

Economic Mobilization Bureau in War Ministry and related sections

Personal Bureau of War Ministry

Press Relations Branch, Ministry of War

Army Field Marshal

Provost Marshal General

General Affairs Bureau, Provost Marshal Headquarters

Inspectorate General of Military Training

Imperial Army-Navy military teaching and training services units

See: Military instructors and trainers of the Empire of Japan

Army Officers in Reserve list

Army

Deputy Chief of Army General Staff

Chief of Army General Staff

Bureau Chief of Army General Staff

1st Bureau Chief of Army General Staff

2nd Bureau Chief of Army General Staff

Vice Chief of Army General Staff

Army General Staff

20th Group - War Coordination, Army General Staff

Operations Section, Army General Staff

Third Section-Organization and Mobilization, Army General Staff

Chief of General Intelligence Bureau in Army General Staff

Second Bureau (Intelligence Division), Army General Staff

Russian unit of Second Bureau (Intelligence Division) Army General Staff

Japanese Army Intelligence Services units

Army Technical Research Institute

Third Bureau (Logistics), Army General Staff

Railways and Shipping section, Army General Staff

Army Ordnance and Army Shipping Department

Chairman of the Military Affairs Bureau

Commanders Officer Army Home Stations

Army Aeronautical Department

Administrative Chief of Administrative Division, Army Aeronautical Department Chief of the Army Aviation Headquarters Inspectorate General of Army Air Force Air Armies General Commanders Air Groups Commanders Air Regiment Commanders Air Force Brigade Commanders Air Force Staff Officers Officer Attached to Second Air Group HQ Commanding Officer in Air Battalion Acting General Officer Commanding Army Aviation Corps **Air Force Commanders, Directors and instructors in Air Schools ** Chief of Army Aeronautical Department (operative unit) Deputy Chief of Army Aeronautical Department Chief of Second Bureau, Army Aeronautical Department Chief of Army Air Technical Laboratories Technicals and Experts in Army Aeronautical Sciences Imperial Japanese Army Air Force units 64th Sentai units (Bangkok Airfield, 1941) Kurai Chutai, 502nd Sentai unit (Nakatsu Airfield, 1945) Hane Chutai, 2nd Air Army unit (Xinjing East Airfield, 1945)

Kwantung Army Commanders (until 1945)

Kwantung Government-General Administration

For a complete structure see:

Structures in other Japanese armies

See:

Police

Commander in Chief of Kempeitai units

Tokeitai police service units

Imperial Guards unit

Commander of Keishicho Civil Police forces

Operative Chief of Keishicho Civil Police units

Tokko police service unit

Marine Ministries

War Relief Association

Marine Ministers

Vice-Marine Ministers

Private Secretary to the Minister of the Navy

Navy Admirals of the Fleet

Navy Admirals

Navy Staff College's Research Department

Third Department in Marine Ministry

Bureau of Naval Affairs

Bureau of Naval Supply

Bureau of Naval Accounting

Naval Aviation Bureau

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force units Fighter Unit (Carrier Akagi, 1941) Tainan Air Corps (Denpasar Airfield, 1942) Yokosuka Air Corps (Yokosuka Airfield, 1943) 253rd Air Corps (Rabaul Airfield, 1944) 303 Squadron, 203rd Air Corps (Kagoshima Airfield, 1945)

Navy General Staff's Intelligence Division

Japanese Navy Secret Service units

Japanese Imperial Navy's Advisory Bureau on Jewish Affairs

Operation Section of Naval General Staff

Plans Division Office of Operation Section in Naval General Staff

Naval Research Section

Technical Council in Navy Technical Department

Naval Aviation Development Division in Munitions Ministry

President of Japanese Naval Staff College

Navy Officers in Reserve list

Navy

Chief of Naval General Staff

Staff Officer of Naval General Staff

Vice-Chief of Naval General Staff

Naval General Staff

Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet

Vice-Commander of Combined Fleet

Chief of Staff of Combined Fleet

Commander of First Naval Fleet

Commander of 2nd Naval Fleet

Commander of 3rd Naval Fleet

First Naval Air Fleet

Senior Staff Officer of the First Naval Air Fleet

Second Navy Air Fleet

Fifth Navy Air Fleet

11th Navy Air Fleet

26th Air Flotilla

Fourth Naval Fleet

Eighth Naval Fleet

Third Destroyer Flotilla

China Navy Area Fleet

1st Carrier Division

Carrier Division Three

1st CarDiv

2nd Carrier Unit

3rd Destroyer Flotilla

2nd Destroyer Group

10th Destroyer Flotilla

10th Destroyer Unit

22nd Destroyer Division

6th Destroyer Flotilla

2nd Destroyer Unit

3rd Destroyer Flotilla

4th Destroyer Division

4th Destroyer Flotilla

5th Cruiser Division

18th Cruiser Division

8th Cruiser Division

6th Cruiser Division

4th Cruiser Division (1st section)

5th Cruiser Division

7th Cruiser Division

1st Battleship Division

3rd Battleship Division (1st section)

3rd Submarine Sqdn

5th Submarine Sqdn

13th Submarine Sqdn

First Submarine Fleet

Sixth Submarine Fleet

1st Transport Group

2nd Transport Group

3rd Transport Group

Seaplane Tender Group

Minesweeper Group

First Naval Striking Force

Officer in Japanese Vessel Raiders Force(1941–1942)

Sasebo 7th Special Naval Landing Force

Chief of Staff of the Maizuru Naval Base

First Naval District

Kure and Yokosuka Naval Districts

Sasebo Naval District

Sasebo Naval Yard

Yokosuka Naval Base

Kure Naval Base

Chinkai Naval Station (Chosen)

Ryojun Naval Station (Kwantung)

Central Government Ministries

Kodoha ideological advisers in government

Chief of Cabinet Secretary

Welfare Minister;)

Minister of Education

Imperial Youth Federation/Imperial Youth Corps

Minister of State Affairs

Finance Minister

Government Finances and Economics Entities

'National Economic policies' 'Planning Bureau in Cabinet Resources Board' 'Member in Cabinet Research Board' 'Imperial Planning Institute' '1st Department, Planning Institute (Cabinet Research Board Unit)' 'Cabinet Planning Board' 'First Bureau, Cabinet Planning Board' 'General Affairs Bureau, Cabinet Planning Board' 'Secretary-General of the Asia Development Board' 'Political Affairs Section of the Asia Development Board'

Commerce and Industry Minister

Government Industry, Commerce and Trading Organizations

'Nan-yo Kyokai' 'Nanyo Sangyo Kaisha' 'Nanyo Kohatsu Kaisha'

Minister of Trade

Minister of State (without portfolio)

Minister of Agriculture

Communications Minister

'Official Journalists' 'Support writers and military experts' 'Official war correspondent'

President of International Cultural Relations Society

Justice Minister

Home Affairs Minister

Diet members

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs Minister

Foreign Affairs Officers

Foreign Affairs Officers on Diplomatic Missions

Overseas ambassadors

Military attachés in foreign service

See: Japanese military attachés in foreign service

Japanese Overseas Consuls-General

Japanese Overseas Affairs Minister

Political Affairs Section of the Asia Development Board

Governor-General in Exterior Provinces (1944–1945)

Tibetan Department (1942)

Japanese and foreign politician and military experts related to Buddhist and Tibetan topics group inside of foreign affairs ministry during 1942, for research the possibility of any operations or incursion in Tibet:

Japanese experts in Jewish Affairs (1938–1942)

Military and Civil experts (Jewish & Manchurian Think Tank Groups)

East Jew leader and Japanese supporter in Manchukuo

1938 Five Minister Conference

At the 1938 Five Ministers' Conference, five of the most powerful men in Japan gathered to discuss the ideas and plans of their 'Jewish experts'.

German Liaison in Jewish topics (until 1942)

Government Supporters

Other close military government collaborators

Ultra-nationalist supporters close to the government

Nobility members, entrepreneurs and other supporters of Government and military establishment

Nobility members

Entrepreneurs

Other supporters