Hisakazu Tanaka (1889–1947), born in Hyogo Prefecture and originally surnamed Koganei, was a lieutenant general of the Imperial Japanese Army. A graduate of the Army Academy in 1910 and the Army War College in 1918, he became chief of staff of the Taiwan Army and then of the 21st Army in 1938, helping direct the landing at Bias Bay and the capture of Canton; promoted lieutenant general in 1940, he commanded the 21st Division in the invasion of French Indochina, and in March 1943 took command of the 23rd Army in South China, based in Canton. When the Japanese reorganised the Hong Kong occupied territory in December 1944 and Isogai Rennosuke was posted to Taiwan, Tanaka concurrently became Governor of occupied Hong Kong from 1 February 1945 until the surrender on 15 August. After Japan capitulated he signed surrender documents in Canton before Zhang Fakui's 2nd Army Group and in Swatow before Yu Hanmou's 7th War Area; the Hong Kong surrender ceremony took place at Government House on 16 September, when Major General Umekichi Okada and others surrendered to Rear-Admiral Cecil Harcourt of the Royal Navy, ending three years and eight months of Japanese occupation. Classified a Class B war criminal, he was sent to the US military tribunal in Shanghai in December 1945 and in March 1946 was condemned to death by hanging for the unlawful execution of Allied prisoners of war while governor, before being handed to China over his 23rd Army's crimes. His trial opened at the Canton military tribunal on 18 May 1946, sentence of death was passed on 9 October 1946, and he was shot at the Liuhua Bridge execution ground in Canton on 27 March 1947.
As the last governor of occupied Hong Kong, Tanaka handled the Japanese surrender in 1945 and ended three years and eight months of occupation. Tried and executed after the war, his case became a benchmark for the war responsibility of Japanese commanders in South China.
Achievements
- 1943 · Took command of the Japanese 23rd Army in South China, based in Canton
- 1945 · Concurrently became Governor of occupied Hong Kong from 1 February until the surrender on 15 August
- 1947 · Was executed by firing squad at the Liuhua Bridge ground in Canton on 27 March