Heitaro Kimura

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(1888-1948)

Born in 1888, Heitaro Kimura graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1908, and from Army War College in 1916. In the late 1920's he was attached to the Inspectorate of Artillery and an instructor at the Field Artillery School.

In 1929 he was attached to the General Staff and was a member of the Japanese Delegation to the London Disarmament Conference from 1929 to 1931. From 1931 to 1932 he commanded the 22nd Artillery Regiment, then was an instructor at the Field Artillery until 1934 School and then the Coastal Artillery School.

He attained the rank of major general in the Japanese Army in 1936 after serving as Chief of Control Section, Economic Mobilization Bureau, Ministry of War from 1935 to 1936. He then was Head of the Ordnance Bureau, Ministry of War until 1939 when he attained the rank of lieutenant general with the 32nd Division in 1939-1940.

Heitaro Kimura was made chief of staff of the Kwantung Army in 1940. He assisted in the planning of the war against China as well as the Pacific War as Vice-Minister of War from 1941 to 1943. From 1943 to 1944 he was a member of the Supreme War Council.

He became the commander-in-chief of the Burma Area Army in 1944. He was responsible for the construction of the Death Railway, which led to the death and brutalization of thousands of prisoners of war. He attained the rank of general in 1945.

In 1948, he was condemned to death by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and hanged as a war criminal.

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