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Katō Kanji Senior Second Rank
Admiral Katō Kanji in 1935
Native name	加藤寛治
Born	(1870-12-23)23 December 1870 Fukui Domain, Japan
Died	9 February 1939(1939-02-09) (aged 68) Atami, Shizuoka, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service / branch	Imperial Japanese Navy
Years of service	1891–1935
Rank	Admiral
Commands	Tsukuba, Ibuki, Hiei, Naval Gunnery School, 5th Squadron, Naval War College, Vice-chief of Navy General Staff, 2nd Fleet, Yokosuka Naval District, Combined Fleet, 1st Fleet, Chief of Navy General Staff
Battles / wars	Russo-Japanese War World War I
Awards	Order of the Crown of Italy

Katō Hiroharu, alternatively named Katō Kanji (23 December 1870 – 9 February 1939), was a Japanese naval officer during the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. The first name 'Kanji' was used in his later life after he became famous, likely just before he was promoted to rear-admiral. He served as the Chief of Navy General Staff from 22 January 1929 to 11 June 1930.

Biography

Katō Hiroharu was born in Fukui City in Fukui on 2 November in the 3rd year of Meiji (23 December 1870) as the eldest son of one of the first navy officers, Katō Naokata, of Fukui Domain in Imperial Japan before the abolition of the han system. On 17 July 1891, he graduated top of the class from Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, 18th class. He was assigned to cruiser Naniwa as a cadet as of 20 May 1892 and experienced two tours to Kingdom of Hawaii. While at Honolulu on the second tour, he was promoted to ensign on 1 March 1894. He was assigned as a navigator on cruiser Hashidate. After returning to Yokosuka Naval Base, he completed the Gunnery training program on corvette Ryūjō on 1 March 1896, which later became the Gunnery School of Naval War College. At the same time, he was assigned as a navigator on cruiser Chiyoda.

In February 1896, he married Murata Chiyoko from the Fukui Domain, and on 24 October 1896, he was appointed as a member of the receiving commission sent to London for battleship Fuji. He was promoted to squad leader on Fuji, Chief Navigation Officer of IJN Japanese cruiser Tatsuta (1894), and then assigned to Consulate General of Japan in Saint Petersburg.

He entered into the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 as the Chief Gunnery Officer of IJN Asahi and experimented with a salvo-firing central control of main guns during the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904, contributing to the killing of Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft and his staff onboard Russian flagship Tsesarevich after the Japanese fleet flagship Mikasa handed over the leading battle position to Asahi. His primitive voice-command control system was adopted by the entire Combined Fleet, and he was promoted to the Chief Gunnery Officer of flagship Mikasa in March 1905.

He was a naval attaché at the Embassy of Japan in London in 1909. He had opposed the signing of the 1930 Treaty of London, which established limitations on arms between Japan, the United States and Great Britain. In 1930 he resigned rather than attend a dinner in honour of US Ambassador William Richards Castle Jr., in protest against the naval restrictions negotiated with him. Kato fought against the treaty limitations, and the treaty of 1936, finally dying after writing his memoirs, widely regarded as a treatise on why Japan was disadvantaged by the treaties. His actions prevented him from advancing in rank and probably cost him a seat in the government. He had an active antagonistic relationship with Yamamoto, who used his influence to prevent Kato from advancing.

Imperial Japanese Court Ranks

• Eighth Rank (16 April 1894)
• Junior Sixth Rank (20 May 1903)
• Sixth Rank (30 November 1906)
• Fourth Rank (31 July 1923)
• Third Rank (16 September 1929)
• Junior Second Rank (1 October 1934)
• Second Rank (9 February 1939)

Awards

• Order of the Rising Sun, 6th class with Silver Rays (18 November 1895)
• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th class, Gold Rays with Rosette (29 November 1904)
• Memory of the Prince's visit to Korea Medal (18 April 1909)
• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd class, Gold and Silver Star (26 September 1918)
• Order of the Crown of Italy, Grand Officer (3 December 1920)
• Order of the Crown of Romania, Grand Officer (3 December 1920)
• Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon with Golden Rays (28 December 1929)
• Set of Golden Cups with Chrysanthemum crest (4 November 1935)
• Légion d'honneur of French Third Republic, Grand-officier (20 August 1936)

Notes

1. This is a basic rule-of-thumb applicable to almost any Japanese names with both 'On' and 'Kun' spellings. Normally, 'Kun' reading is the name given by the parents, 'On' reading is the nickname used with respect.

References

1. ^ 加藤寛治大将伝記編纂会(General Katō Kanji Biography Editing Committee), ed. (1941). 加藤寛治大将伝(General Katō Kanji Bio) (in Japanese). ASIN B000J9ES0A.
2. On Japanese Lunisolar calendar then in use.
3. "JAPAN: Kato, Blood &". Time. 2 June 1930. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
4. "Hideki Tojo Presents Remains of Admiral Kanji Kato to His Family". The World War II Multimedia Database. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
5. "Kanpo" No. 3236 "Investiture and Appointments" 17 April 1894.
6. "Kanpo" No. 5963 "Investiture and Appointments" 21 May 1903.
7. "Kanpo" No. 7028 "Investiture and Appointments" 1 December 1906.
8. "Kanpo" No. 3301 "Investiture and Appointments" 1 August 1923.
9. "Kanpo" No. 872 "Investiture and Appointments" 25 November 1929.
10. "Kanpo" No. 2329 "Investiture and Appointments" 4 October 1934.
11. "Kanpo" No. 3630 "Investiture and Appointments" 13 February 1939.
12. "Kanpo" No. 3727 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 29 November 1895.
13. "Kanpo" No. 6426 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 30 November 1904.
14. "Kanpo" No. 7771 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 18 April 1909.
15. "Kanpo" No. 1846 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 27 September 1918.
16. "Investiture Approval, 1920, Investitures vol.12, Receipt and use of foreign decorations" (in Japanese). 3 December 1920. pp. 2–6. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
17. "Investiture Approval, 1920, Investitures vol.12, Receipt and use of foreign decorations" (in Japanese). 3 December 1920. pp. 7–9. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
18. "Kanpo" No. 901 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 29 December 1929.
19. "Kanpo" No. 2654 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 6 November 1935.
20. "Kanpo" No. 2897 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 27 August 1936.

Bibliography

• Lawrence Sondhaus (2004). Navies in Modern World History. Reaktion Books. pp. 217–219. ISBN 9781861894557.

• People of Meiji-period Japan
• Military personnel from Fukui Prefecture
• Imperial Japanese Navy admirals
• Japanese military personnel of the Russo-Japanese War
• Japanese military personnel of World War I
• 1870 births
• 1939 deaths
• Japanese naval attachés