was a lieutenant general of the Imperial Japanese Army and commander of the Japanese Twenty-First Army in 1938 during the Canton Operation.

Biography

A native of Kumamoto prefecture, Furushō attended military preparatory schools as a youth, and graduated from the 14th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1902. The following year, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Imperial Guards. He was in combat during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905 with the 4th Guards Infantry Regiment.

After the war, Furushō returned to Army Staff College and graduated from the 21st class in 1909. After graduation, he was assigned a number of administrative positions within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, and did a tour of duty as a military attaché to Germany, and another tour as aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Yamagata Aritomo.

After serving as an instructor at the Army War College from 1921-1923, Furushō became Chief of the 1st Section (Organization & Mobilization), 1st Bureau, Imperial Japanese Army General Staff from 1923-1925. He was then given command of the 2nd Imperial Guards Regiment, continuing his long association with the Imperial Guard, from 1925-1927.

After serving with the Ministry of War from 1927-1928, Furushō was promoted to major general and given command of the IJA 2nd Infantry Brigade. He returned to various administrative positions within the General Staff from 1929-1934.

Promoted to lieutenant general in 1933, Furushō took command of the IJA 11th Division in 1934. He subsequently served as Vice Minister of War from 1935-1936.

In 1936, Furushō became Head of Army Aeronautical Department, but in 1937 was appointed Commander in Chief of the Taiwan Army District.

With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Furushō went to China as commander of the Japanese Fifth Army. In 1938, he became commander of the Japanese Twenty-First Army. He returned to Japan in 1938, was promoted to full general and served as a member of the Supreme War Council until his death in 1940. His grave is at Tama Cemetery, in Fuchu, Tokyo.

References

Books

• Dorn, Frank (1974). The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor. MacMillan.. ISBN: 0025322001.

External links

• Ammenthorp, Steen Motoo Furusho. The Generals of World War II. .

Notes