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Takashi Sakai
酒井隆
Sakai Takashi.jpg
Lt. General Takashi Sakai
Governor of Hong Kong
under Japanese occupation
In office
December 25, 1941 – February 20, 1942
Serving with Masaichi Niimi
Monarch Shōwa
Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō
Preceded by Sir Mark Aitchison Young
Succeeded by Rensuke Isogai
Personal details
Born (1887-10-18)October 18, 1887
Kamo District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Died September 30, 1946(1946-09-30) (aged 58)
Nanjing, Jiangsu, Republic of China
Cause of death Died after a trial
Alma mater Army War College
Military service
Allegiance  Empire of Japan
Branch/service  Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service 1908-1943
Rank Japan-army-1938-1945 16-1-.gif Lieutenant General
Commands IJA 26th Division, IJA 4th Army, Southern China Area Army, China Expeditionary Army, Central District Army, IJA Third Area Army
Battles/wars Second Sino-Japanese War
World War II

Takashi Sakai (酒井 隆, Sakai Takashi, 18 October 1887 – 30 September 1946) was a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. He served during World War II. He is best known for his time as the Governor of Hong Kong when it was under Japanese control.

Early Life and Military Training

Takashi Sakai was born on October 18, 1887. His birthplace was in the Kamo District, Hiroshima, Japan. This area is now part of Hiroshima city.

He attended special military schools in Kobe and Osaka. These schools helped prepare him for a career in the army. In 1908, he finished his studies at the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. After graduating, he joined the IJA 28th Infantry Regiment. He also completed training at the Army Staff College.

Military Career in China

Sakai spent a lot of his military career in China. In 1928, he was in Jinan, Shandong Province. He was part of the IJA 12th Infantry Regiment during an event called the Jinan Incident.

From 1929 to 1932, he was stationed in Tianjin. In 1932, Sakai was promoted to the rank of colonel. He then worked in military intelligence for the Imperial Japanese Army.

From 1934 to 1935, Sakai was the Chief of Staff for the Japanese army in China. During this time, he was involved in several conflicts. These events led to an agreement with the Chinese government. This agreement, called the He–Umezu Agreement, gave Japan more control over Hebei Province.

Sakai became a major general in 1937. He was then put in charge of the IJA 28th Infantry Brigade. By 1939, he was promoted to lieutenant general. He worked in different departments dealing with Asia and Mongolia. In 1940, he returned to Japan for a short time.

Role in World War II

In November 1941, Sakai was the commander of the IJA 23rd Army. This army was located in Canton, China. He received orders to capture Hong Kong. He was given a strict deadline of 10 days to complete this mission.

On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces led by Sakai invaded Hong Kong. This happened just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The battle for Hong Kong, known as the Battle of Hong Kong, was tougher than Sakai expected. He had to ask for more time to complete his mission.

Sir Mark Young, who was the Governor of Hong Kong at the time, surrendered all British forces. This happened on Christmas Day, after 18 days of fighting.

Sakai served as the Japanese Governor of Hong Kong for a short period. He held this position until February 20, 1942. After this, he was called back to Japan. He officially retired from active military service in 1943.

Later Life and Trial

After World War II ended, Takashi Sakai was taken into custody. This happened at the request of the Chinese government. He was sent to China to face a trial.

He was found responsible for actions that harmed civilians during the war. On August 27, 1946, he was found guilty at the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal. Takashi Sakai died on September 30, 1946, following this trial.

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