Sankichi Takahashi
Encyclopedia
was an Admiral
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
. After the Washington Naval Treaty
of 1922 Takahashi, an important figure of IJN's Fleet Faction
, made a swift career, from commander of an obsolete cruiser
in 1923 to commander of the Combined Fleet
in 1934. He was instrumental in crushing the opposing moderate Treaty Faction
but soon lost his command in another round of political turmoil.
that accepted limitations imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty
and "command" Fleet Faction
that opposed them. Takahashi Sankichi, promoted by his superior Kato Kanji, was on the Fleet side headed by Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
, Kato Kanji and Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
.
He held brief assignments on the high seas, commanding the cruiser
(1923–1924) and battleship
(1924–1925). and headed the Operations section of Naval General Staff
under vice chief Kato Kanji who actually ran the organization, overwhelming its mild-mannered chief Yamashita Gentarō.
Takahashi became chief of staff of the Combined Fleet
in 1927, when Kato Kanji assumed command and subjected the fleet to the most rigorous and risky drills, attempting to compensate numeric constraints of the Washington Treaty with superior training.
Ten years later, as the Commander of Combined Fleet
, Takahashi upheld the same mentality:
"If we are compelled to use the short sword to combat a foe brandishing the long sword, I am sure we shall win! We have tactics to defeat the combined fleets of Great Britain and the U.S."; "Implant in the mind of every man and every officer that Japan will be the inevitable victor in any international conflict." He continued to rally against Washington Treaty limitations during the Geneva Naval Conference
of 1927, supporting the faction of Mineo Ōsumi
and Tōgō Heihachirō
. The moderates tried to restore their influence in the late 1920s but were finally crushed by the Fleet Faction in 1932-1933.
In 1928, Takahashi was appointed the first commander of the newly formed First Carrier Division
, IJN's first air supremacy
formation.
through the efforts of Kato Kanji while Prince Fushimi chaired the Staff from January 1932 to March 1941. Asada wrote that Takahashi "virtually controlled the naval
high command in this capacity", Ian Gow argued that Prince Fushimi was an independent and capable leader in his own right.
Immediately upon promotion, Takahashi revived the plans to expand the Staff authority and reduce that of Naval Ministry that he developed for Kato Kanji in 1922.
In September 1933, Fleet Faction prevailed and Fushimi gained clear supremacy over Navy Minister Mineo Ōsumi
.
In 1933-1934, the militarists silenced the opposition leaders and forced them to retire during the Osumi purge, thus gaining unchecked control of the Navy.
After World War II, Takahashi recalled that "one of his aims [in the 1932 struggle for power] was to be prepared with a war with the United States"; he feared that the Shanghai Incident of 1932
could escalate in a major Japanese-American war.
In November 1934, Takahashi was appointed commander of the Combined Fleet
and held this command for two years. Contrary to the battleship mentality of old-school admiral, he spoke in favor of increasing aircraft carrier
arm of the Fleet; his opinion was rejected by both General Staff and the Navy Ministry and ultimately cost him his career; he was cut off from any further information on the Navy's future.
" in 1944.
As the former commander of Combined Fleet, well known in Japan and abroad and not involved in actual combat, Takahashi regularly spoke to the public on military and political topics, before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor
. In 1936, he spoke that "Japan's economic advantage must be directed southward, with either Formosa
or the South Sea Islands
as a foothold";
in November 1940 he presented the Navy's view of the Empire's plans:
"It will be constructed in several stages. In the first stage, the sphere that Japan demands includes Manchukuo
, China
, Indo-China, Burma, Straits Settlements
,
Netherlands Indies
, New Caledonia
, New Guinea
, many islands in the West Pacific, Japan's mandated islands and the Philippines
.
Australia
and the rest of the East Indies
can be included later...".
Takahashi was an early adopter of Aikido
and invited its founder Morihei Ueshiba
to the Naval Staff College
as a budō
instructor;
Ueshiba trained IJN officers for ten years. Allied war-time sources connected Takahashi Sankichi with the Black Dragon Society
that allegedly infiltrated the United States and silenced political opposition in Japan. (However :The only Takahashi listed in Richard Storry's The Double Patriots: A study of Japanese Nationalism (1956)-whose sources are the IMTFE transcripts and exhibits and also the Saionji-Harada memoirs- is Takahashi Hidetomi ).
In the beginning of December 1945, General Douglas MacArthur
placed Takahashi on the list of 59 most wanted Japanese along with Prince Nashimoto Morimasa and admiral Soemu Toyoda. He was freed December 1948
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. After the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
of 1922 Takahashi, an important figure of IJN's Fleet Faction
Fleet Faction
The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers opposed to the conditions imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...
, made a swift career, from commander of an obsolete cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
in 1923 to commander of the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
in 1934. He was instrumental in crushing the opposing moderate Treaty Faction
Treaty Faction
The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers supporting the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...
but soon lost his command in another round of political turmoil.
Career after World War One
In the 1920s, the Japanese Navy brass was split into "administrative" Treaty FactionTreaty Faction
The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers supporting the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...
that accepted limitations imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
and "command" Fleet Faction
Fleet Faction
The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers opposed to the conditions imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...
that opposed them. Takahashi Sankichi, promoted by his superior Kato Kanji, was on the Fleet side headed by Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
was a scion of the Japanese imperial family and was a career naval officer who served as chief of staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1932 to 1941.-Early life:...
, Kato Kanji and Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
.
He held brief assignments on the high seas, commanding the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
(1923–1924) and battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
(1924–1925). and headed the Operations section of Naval General Staff
Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...
under vice chief Kato Kanji who actually ran the organization, overwhelming its mild-mannered chief Yamashita Gentarō.
Takahashi became chief of staff of the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
in 1927, when Kato Kanji assumed command and subjected the fleet to the most rigorous and risky drills, attempting to compensate numeric constraints of the Washington Treaty with superior training.
Ten years later, as the Commander of Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
, Takahashi upheld the same mentality:
"If we are compelled to use the short sword to combat a foe brandishing the long sword, I am sure we shall win! We have tactics to defeat the combined fleets of Great Britain and the U.S."; "Implant in the mind of every man and every officer that Japan will be the inevitable victor in any international conflict." He continued to rally against Washington Treaty limitations during the Geneva Naval Conference
Geneva Naval Conference
The Geneva Naval Conference was a conference held to discuss naval arms limitation, held in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1927. This is a separate conference from the later general disarmament conference, the Geneva Conference ....
of 1927, supporting the faction of Mineo Ōsumi
Mineo Osumi
Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and served twice as Minister of the Navy of Japan during the volatile 1930s.-Early life:Ōsumi was born in Kōchi Prefecture, but grew up in Aichi Prefecture. He was a graduate of the 24th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where he...
and Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
. The moderates tried to restore their influence in the late 1920s but were finally crushed by the Fleet Faction in 1932-1933.
In 1928, Takahashi was appointed the first commander of the newly formed First Carrier Division
First Carrier Division
was an aircraft carrier unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy's First Air Fleet. At the beginning of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, the First Carrier Division consisted of the fleet carriers Akagi and Kaga. The division participated in the Attack on Pearl Harbor and Indian Ocean Raid...
, IJN's first air supremacy
Air supremacy
Air supremacy is the complete dominance of the air power of one side's air forces over the other side's, during a military campaign. It is the most favorable state of control of the air...
formation.
Crushing the opposition
In February 1932, Takahashi was appointed vice chief of Naval General StaffImperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...
through the efforts of Kato Kanji while Prince Fushimi chaired the Staff from January 1932 to March 1941. Asada wrote that Takahashi "virtually controlled the naval
high command in this capacity", Ian Gow argued that Prince Fushimi was an independent and capable leader in his own right.
Immediately upon promotion, Takahashi revived the plans to expand the Staff authority and reduce that of Naval Ministry that he developed for Kato Kanji in 1922.
In September 1933, Fleet Faction prevailed and Fushimi gained clear supremacy over Navy Minister Mineo Ōsumi
Mineo Osumi
Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and served twice as Minister of the Navy of Japan during the volatile 1930s.-Early life:Ōsumi was born in Kōchi Prefecture, but grew up in Aichi Prefecture. He was a graduate of the 24th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where he...
.
In 1933-1934, the militarists silenced the opposition leaders and forced them to retire during the Osumi purge, thus gaining unchecked control of the Navy.
After World War II, Takahashi recalled that "one of his aims [in the 1932 struggle for power] was to be prepared with a war with the United States"; he feared that the Shanghai Incident of 1932
January 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
could escalate in a major Japanese-American war.
In November 1934, Takahashi was appointed commander of the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
and held this command for two years. Contrary to the battleship mentality of old-school admiral, he spoke in favor of increasing aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
arm of the Fleet; his opinion was rejected by both General Staff and the Navy Ministry and ultimately cost him his career; he was cut off from any further information on the Navy's future.
Political statements
Takahashi did not have significant naval commands during World War II; Allied press called him "president of the East Asia Development Association" in 1942 and "commander of the big Kure naval stationKure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
" in 1944.
As the former commander of Combined Fleet, well known in Japan and abroad and not involved in actual combat, Takahashi regularly spoke to the public on military and political topics, before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. In 1936, he spoke that "Japan's economic advantage must be directed southward, with either Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
or the South Sea Islands
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
as a foothold";
in November 1940 he presented the Navy's view of the Empire's plans:
"It will be constructed in several stages. In the first stage, the sphere that Japan demands includes Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Indo-China, Burma, Straits Settlements
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
,
Netherlands Indies
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, many islands in the West Pacific, Japan's mandated islands and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the rest of the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
can be included later...".
Takahashi was an early adopter of Aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
and invited its founder Morihei Ueshiba
Morihei Ueshiba
was a famous martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" or , "Great Teacher".-Early years:Morihei Ueshiba was born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan on December 14, 1883....
to the Naval Staff College
Naval War College (Japan)
The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
as a budō
Budo
is a Japanese term describing martial arts. In English, it is used almost exclusively in reference to Japanese martial arts.-Etymology:Budō is a compound of the root bu , meaning war or martial; and dō , meaning path or way. Specifically, dō is derived from the Buddhist Sanskrit mārga...
instructor;
Ueshiba trained IJN officers for ten years. Allied war-time sources connected Takahashi Sankichi with the Black Dragon Society
Black Dragon Society
The was a prominent paramilitary, ultranationalist right-wing group in Japan.-History:The Kokuryūkai was founded in 1901 by Uchida Ryohei, and was descended from the Genyōsha. Its name is derived from the Amur River, called Heilongjiang or "Black Dragon River" in Chinese , read as Kokuryū-kō in...
that allegedly infiltrated the United States and silenced political opposition in Japan. (However :The only Takahashi listed in Richard Storry's The Double Patriots: A study of Japanese Nationalism (1956)-whose sources are the IMTFE transcripts and exhibits and also the Saionji-Harada memoirs- is Takahashi Hidetomi ).
In the beginning of December 1945, General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
placed Takahashi on the list of 59 most wanted Japanese along with Prince Nashimoto Morimasa and admiral Soemu Toyoda. He was freed December 1948
Sources
- Sadao Asada (2006). From Mahan to Pearl Harbor: the imperial Japanese navy and the United States. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1557500428, ISBN 9781557500427.
- Sadao Asada (2007). Culture shock and Japanese-American relations: historical essays. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0826217451, ISBN 9780826217455.
- Donald M. Goldstein, Katherine V. Dillon (2004). The Pacific War papers: Japanese documents of World War II. Brassey's. ISBN 1574886320, ISBN 9781574886320.
- Ian Gow (2004). Military intervention in pre-war Japanese politics: Admiral Katō Kanji and the 'Washington system'. Routledge. ISBN 0700713158, ISBN 9780700713158.
- Ramon H. Myers, Mark R. Peattie (1987). The Japanese colonial empire, 1895-1945. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691102228, ISBN 9780691102221.
- Mark R. Peattie (2007). Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 159114664X, ISBN 9781591146643.
- Lise Abbott Rose (2007). Power at sea, Volume 2. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 0826217028, ISBN 9780826217028.