16th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

16th Division
IJA 16th Division HQ in Kyoto
Active	1905 - 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Size	25,000 men
Garrison/HQ	Kyoto
Nickname(s)	Wall Division
Engagements	Russo-Japanese War Second Sino-Japanese War Pacific War
Commanders
Current commander	Prince Nashimoto (Morimasa), Minami Jiro, Kanji Ishiwara, Shiro Makino

The 16th Division (第16師団, Dai Jūroku Shidan^?) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the Wall Division (垣兵団, Kaki Heidan^?), and its military symbol was 16D. The 16th Division was one of four new infantry divisions raised by the Imperial Japanese Army in the closing stages of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). With Japan's limited resources towards the end of that conflict, the entire IJA was committed to combat in Manchuria, leaving not a single division to guard the Japanese home islands from attack. The 16th Division was initially raised from men in the area surrounding Kyoto 18 July 1905 under the command of Lieutenant General Yamanaka Nobuyoshi.

The 16th Division was immediately deployed to Manchuria, but the peace process was already underway since 6 August 1905, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth on 5 September 1905. As a consequence, the 16th division could not see any combat.

On 28 March 1907 the divisional headquarters was established in what is now the city of Takaishi, Osaka, but was relocated to Kyoto 30 October 1908. The divisions was send thrice to Manchuria to perform a garrison duties - in 1919, 1929 and 1934.

While in Kyoto, the division was called upon to provide emergency relief efforts during massive flooding of the Kamo River 28 June 1935. For the three days, sappers from the division helped shore up dikes and construct temporary bridges, while over a 1,000 men assisted with traffic control and rescue efforts at the request of the Kyoto city government.