IJA 31st Division

31st Division
Active	1943–1944
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Garrison/HQ	Bangkok
Nickname(s)	"Furious Division"
Engagements	Battle of Kohima
Commanders
Notable commanders	Kotoku Sato

The 31st Division (第31師団, Dai-sanjūichi Shidan) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Furious Division (烈兵団, Retsu Heidan). The 31st Division was raised during World War II in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 22, 1943, out of Kawaguchi Detachment and parts of the 13th, 40th and 116th divisions. The 31st division was initially assigned to 15th army (the part of the Japanese Burma Area Army).

In 1944, under Japanese operation U-GO, Lieutenant General Renya Mutaguchi ordered the 31st Division across the border of Burma into British India as part of the overall Battle of Imphal. Its assignment was to capture Kohima, thus cutting off Imphal, and then exploit to Dimapur. The 31st division's commander, Lieutenant General Kotoku Sato was unhappy with his role. He had not been involved in the planning of the offensive, and had grave misgivings about their chances. He and Mutaguchi had also been on opposite sides during the split between the Toseiha and Kodoha factions within the Imperial Japanese Army during the early 1930s, and Sato distrusted Mutaguchi's motives. In addition, along with many of the senior Japanese officers in Burma, he considered Mutaguchi a "blockhead".

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