Ryukichi Tanaka

Ryūkichi Tanaka
General Ryūkichi Tanaka
Born	September 28, 1896 Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Died	November 24, 1972(1972-11-24) (aged 76)
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1913 -1945
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	Second Sino-Japanese War World War II

Ryūkichi Tanaka (田中 隆吉, Tanaka Ryūkichi^?, 28 September 1896 – 24 November 1972) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II

Tanaka was born in what is now part of Yasugi city, Shimane prefecture, and attended military schools as a youth. He graduated from the 26th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1913, specializing in artillery, and was assigned to serve with the IJA 23rd Field Artillery Regiment based on Okayama.

After graduating from the 34th class of the Army Staff College in 1923, Tanaka served in various staff positions in the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, and came into contact with Pan-Asianism theorist and nationalist writer Shūmei Ōkawa. He was sent on special assignment to Beijing and Kalgan from 1927-1929 to gather military intelligence. In October 1930, he was based in Shanghai, where he came into contact with Yoshiko Kawashima, and assisted her in establishing her spy network. He was living with Kawashima in Shanghai at the time of the Shanghai Incident of 1932.

Recalled to Japan in August 1932. Tanaka was appointed commander of the IJA 4th Field Artillery Regiment. He was attached to the IJA 1st Heavy Field Artillery Regiment from 1934 to 1935, and then attached to the 2nd Section of the Kwantung Army staff from 1935 to 1937. From 1937 to 1939, Tanaka was commanding officer of the 25th Mountain Artillery Regiment in Manchukuo, which was at the disastrous Battle of Lake Khasan.