HQ building of the Imperial Japanese Army, Tokyo, from 1937-1945
The , more popularly known as the
Ministry of War of Japan was the
cabinet-level ministry from 1872-1945 in charge with administration of the
Imperial Japanese Army (IJA).
History
The Army Ministry was created in April 1872, along with the
Navy Ministry, to replace the Ministry of Military Affairs (
Hyōbushō) of the early
Meiji government of Japan.
Initially, the Army Ministry was in charge of both administration and operational command of the Imperial Japanese Army; however, with the creation of the
Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in December 1878, it was left with only administrative functions. Its primary role was to secure the army budget, weapons procurement, personnel, relations with the
Diet of Japan and the cabinet and broad matters of military policy.
The post of Army Minister was politically powerful. Although a member of the
Cabinet after the establishment of the cabinet system of government under the
Meiji Constitution from 1885, the Army Minister was answerable directly to the
Emperor of Japan and not to the
Prime Minister of Japan.
The post of Army Minister was usually filled by an active duty general in the Imperial Japanese Army. This practice was made into law under the in 1900 by Prime Minister
Yamagata Aritomo to curb the influence of
political parties into military affairs. Abolished in 1913 under the administration of
Yamamoto Gonnohyoe, the law was revived again in 1936 at the insistence of the Army General Staff by Prime Minister
Hirota Koki. The ability of the Army to refuse to nominate an Army Minister gave it effective veto power over the formation of any civilian administration, and was a key factor in the erosion of
representative democracy and the rise of
Japanese militarism.
The Ministry was abolished in December 1945 after the end of
World War II during the American
Occupation of Japan.
Organization
- Under-Secretary of the Army (Vice Minister)
- * Military Affairs Bureau
- * Intendance (Accounts and Supply)
- * Economic Mobilization Bureau
- * Aeronautical Department
- * Economic Mobilization (abolished in April 1945)
The Army Ministry and
Imperial General Headquarters were located was located in
Ichigaya Heights, in which is now part of
Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Ministers of Army of Japan
