Koji Sakai

Kōji Sakai
General Kōji Sakai
Born	November 4, 1885 Aichi prefecture, Japan
Died	March 2, 1973(1973-03-02) (aged 87)
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1905 -1945
Rank	General
Commands held	IJA 1st Independent Mixed Brigade, IJA 109th Division
Battles/wars	Second Sino-Japanese War World War II

Kōji Sakai (酒井 鎬次, Sakai Kōji^?, 4 November 1885 – 2 March 1973) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War

A native of Aichi Prefecture, Sakai graduated from the 18th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1905, and was commissioned into the Imperial Guard's 4th Infantry Regiment. He graduated from the 24th class of the Army Staff College in 1912.

After serving in a staff position within the personnel department of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, Sakai was dispatched to France as a military attaché from 1915–1917, and was thus able to observe the fighting in World War I firsthand as an official observer from the Japanese government.

On his return to Japan, Sakai was again assigned to staff positions, but due to his fluency in French and European experience, was selected to participate in the Japanese delegation to the Versailles Peace Treaty negotiations. His rise through the ranks was steady and rapid thereafter: major in 1921, lieutenant colonel in 1925, colonel in 1929, and major general in 1931.

From 1927-1929, Sakai served on Japan's delegation to League of Nations. On his return to Japan, he was given command of the IJA 22nd Infantry Regiment from 1929–1931 and served as an instructor at the Army War College from 1931-1934. He was Commandant of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy from 1934-1936.