20th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

20th Division
Surrender of the IJA 18th Army at New Guinea
Active	24 December 1915 - 13 September 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Garrison/HQ	Yongsan, Korea
Nickname(s)	Morning Division
Engagements	Second Sino-Japanese War World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	Masutaro Nakai

The 20th Division (第20師団, Dai-nijū Shidan^?) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the Morning Division (朝兵団, Asa Heidan^?). The 20th Division and the 19th Division were both raised as a garrison force for Korea. After Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, and subsequent occupation, and then annexation of Korea in 1910, the need was felt for a dedicated garrison force, raised from people with local knowledge. The 20th Division was stationed in central Korea, in what is now Yongsan District, Seoul. The division received its colors on 24 December 1915; however, the division was not considered combat-ready until 1918, and divisional headquarters were co-located with the division only from the 1 April 1919. The delay was due to limited funding available for the division to build its facilities in Korea and the need to recruit and train personnel from mainland Japan. The first commander of the 19th Division was Lieutenant General Tachibana Koichirō.