8th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
| 8th Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1898- 1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan |
| Nickname(s) | Cedar Division (杉兵団 Sugi-heidan?) |
| Engagements |
Russo-Japanese War Manchurian Incident Pacific War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Tatsumi Naofumi Jinzaburō Mazaki Toshinari Maeda |
The 8th Division (第8師団 Dai-hachi Shidan?) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. It was formed 1 October 1898 in Hirosaki, Aomori, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War and was annihilated at Rodriguez, Rizal in 1945. Notably, Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese holdout, from the 8th Division has continued fighting until been relieved from duty 9 March 1974. The 8th division has consisted of troops from the Tōhoku region of Japan, primarily Aomori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture. Its first commander was General Tatsumi Naofumi, formerly commander of the Sendai Garrison.
As the tensions with Russia grew after the First Sino-Japanese War and Triple Intervention, the 8th Division has engaged in intensive cold-climate training, setting the stage for the infamous Hakkōda Mountains incident in January 1902, where 199 of 210 members of the 5th Infantry Regiment froze to death in Hakkōda Mountains.
After the Russo-Japanese War has started, the 8th division was mobilized in June 1904, but remained in reserve until reinforcing Japanese forces in Battle of Sandepu in January 1905. It acted with distinction, repelling Russian onslaught together with the 5th division. In February 1905, the division have participated in Battle of Mukden. From 1910, it was assigned to garrison duties in Korea, and it also participated in the Siberian Intervention starting in 1921. During Siberian Intervention, the 8th division was assigned to garrison the Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast.
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