Tanaka, Giichi, 1863-1929, Japanese statesman and general. He is famous as the alleged author of the so-called Tanaka Memorial (1927), purporting to set forth Japan's plans for foreign conquest. Although proven to be a forgery, its similarity in part to the subsequent course of Japanese military expansion convinced many of its authenticity. He was war minister (1918-21, 1923-24) and backed the Siberian expedition. He became president of the Seiyukai party in 1925. As prime minister and foreign minister (1927-29) he pursued an aggressive policy in China, including military intervention in Shandong in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Chiang Kai-shek from unifying China. At home, his cabinet suppressed radicals and manipulated an election. Although it failed to win a majority, it remained in office. The downfall of Tanaka was hastened by his failure to control army extremists who assassinated the Manchurian warlord Chang Tso-lin, and by the charge that signing the Kellogg-Briand Pact "in the name of the people" infringed the sovereignty of the emperor.

Tanaka (田中 middle of the ricefield) is the fourth most common Japanese surname.

People

• Tanaka Giichi (former Prime Minister of Japan)
• Tanaka Hidemitsu (author)
• Aiko Tanaka (model and actress)
• Dean Tanaka (aka Dean Cain)
• Hideyuki Tanaka (voice actor)
• Hirokazu Tanaka (musician)
• Hiromichi Tanaka (video game producer)
• Hisao Tanaka (wrestler)
• Hisashige Tanaka (founder of Tanaka Seizosho, subsequently renamed Toshiba)
• Tanaka Isson (Nihonga painter)
• Tanaka Jun (author)
• Kakuei Tanaka (former Prime Minister of Japan)
• Kinuyo Tanaka (actress)
• Koichi Tanaka (chemist)
• Koki Tanaka (singer, actor)
• Kōtarō Tanaka (photographer)
• Makiko Tanaka (politician)
• Marcus Tulio Tanaka (footballer)
• Masahiko Tanaka (voice actor)
• Masako Tanaka (Mineko Iwasaki) (geisha)
• Masato Tanaka (professional wrestler)
• Mayumi Tanaka (voice actor)
• Meca Tanaka (manga artist)
• Miho Tanaka (athlete)
• Mikiyasu Tanaka (volleyball player and coach)
• Min Tanaka (dancer and choreographer)
• Minoru Tanaka (professional wrestler)
• Minoru Tanaka (driver), (born 1963) a race car driver
• Misako Tanaka (actress)
• Nobuo Tanaka (born 1950), the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency
• Nobuyuki Tanaka (botanist)
• Paul Tanaka (sheriff)
• Raizō Tanaka (Japanese Rear Admiral during WW2)
• Reina Tanaka (singer)
• Rena Tanaka (actress)
• Rie Tanaka (voice actor)
• Sara Tanaka (actress)
• Shinako Tanaka (beach volleyball player)
• Shohé Tanaka (music theorist and physicist)
• Tetsuya Tanaka (born 1965) a racing car driver
• Tommy Tanaka (Guam politician)
• Professor Toru Tanaka (professional wrestler and actor)
• Yasuo Tanaka (astronomer) (asteroid 4387 Tanaka is named for him)
• Yasuo Tanaka (author, politician)
• Takashi Tanaka, a.k.a. Banjō Ginga (voice actor)
• Yoshiki Tanaka (author)
• Yoshiko Tanaka (actress)
• Yuji Tanaka (comedian)

Fictional characters

• Tanaka Kazuya, a character from School Rumble
• Tiger Tanaka, a character from the James Bond novel and film You Only Live Twice
• Mariko Tanaka, a character from Wing Commander
• Mr. Tanaka, a character from Sonic X
• Taro Tanaka, character from Taro the Space Alien (Uchūjin Tanaka Tarō)
• Shinji Tanaka, character from Yakuza
• Shinichiro Tanaka, character from Battle Royale (film, Special Edition)
• Souichirou Tanaka, a character from Genshiken
• Isuro Tanaka, a character from Major League II

Institutions

• The Tanaka Business School (Part of Imperial College London)

Companies

• Tanaka Optical Co., makers of the Tanack rangefinder cameras (Leica type)
• Tanaka Power Equipment, makers of small internal combustion engines and associated machinery
• Tanaka Manufacturing, which became Toshiba

Other

• Tanaka Memorial, an alleged Japanese war planning document

References

See also

• Japanese name