Munitions Ministry (Japan)

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The Munitions Ministry of the Empire of Japan was a central government institution charged with leading the industrial manufacture and procurement of armaments, spare parts and munitions. Its structure was comparable to that run by Albert Speer, the "Bewaffnung und Munition Reichsminister" in Germany.

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[edit] Munitions Minister

Originally the responsibility was of the Board of Planning and the Military Industrial section of the Commerce and Industry Ministry. A Munitions Minister post was created by imperial decree. The responsibility fell to Mr. Fujiwara.Other important figures were the head of naval aviation development department and the Imperial Japanese Navy director representative, Rear Admiral Takijiro Ohnishi, (later the "father" of the Kamikaze special corps) and the Prime Minister,leader in "Kodoha" party, and Commander-in-Chief of Imperial Armed Forces also Japanese Army direct representative, General Hideki Tojo, was concurrently Minister of Munitions, for some time.

To step up the production of planes and other armaments, the Government had created a "Munitions Ministry" on November 1, 1943. The new Ministry, however, had responsibility only for the production side-not for research in aeronautical and Weapons technology. In many instances the Japanese Army and the Japanese Navy blocked mass production, because different parts were used by each service.

If they had both employed standardized engines, production could have been increased. Unless Japanese Army and Japanese Navy technological research on aircraft were brought under the "Munitions Ministry", intensive mass production could not be anticipated; but the armed services evinced no enthusiasm toward taking this step. was similar measures putting in practice respect at other types of armament manufactures.

It therefore appeared as if the "Munitions Ministry" had proved to be nothing more than a new stage for Army-Navy rivalries.

In order to unify orders for munitions production and to bring about a unified administration of all affairs relating to munitions production, in harmony with the policy of expanding munitions production, particularly the production of aircraft, the Government on November 1, 1943 created a new Ministry of Munitions by abolishing the Board of Planning and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as a unified organ of production in which the total industrial power of the nation was to be concentrated.

With the establishment of this new organ, all matters relating to the State General Mobilization Act and all matters under the jurisdiction of the Board of Planning and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry were transferred to the new organ the decision to create the Ministry of Munitions.

[edit] Military industries under command of the Munitions Ministry

The Board of Planning and Ministry of Commerce and Industry, later the Munitions Ministry, led the industrial manufacturing efforts of all weapons and armaments for the Imperial Japanese forces. Before and during the Pacific War, main contractors were Mitsui, Mitsubishi (Iwasaki),Sumitomo, Okura, Asano, Kuhara, Yasuda and some other industrial groups.

[edit] Aircraft Companies

[edit] For the Japanese Navy

[edit] For Navy Air Arsenals

[edit] For Japanese Army

  • Tokyo Koku
  • Nikkoku
  • Yokoi
  • Rikugun/Kokukosho
  • Rikugun/Kogiken
  • Kawasaki(aircraft division)
  • Kokusai
  • Kayaba
  • Ishikawajima

[edit] For Army Air Arsenal

1°Arsenal of Tachikawa (Tachikawa Aircraft factory)

[edit] For both armed branches

[edit] For Manchukuo and Japanese Army

[edit] Japanese Aircraft weapons

  • Chuo Kogyo K.K. in cooperation with the Third Army Aerotechnical Laboratory at Tachikawa
  • Nagoya Army Arsenal

[edit] Light weapons and handguns

  • Hikozo Ito and Sons Ltd. (specialist in manufacturing military swords)
  • Nambu Company (light weapons, pistols and rifles)
  • Heijo Arsenal (light weapons)
  • Mukden Arsenal (light weapons)
  • Tokyo Arsenal (light weapons)
  • Kokura Arsenal (ligth weapons,rifles and MGs)

[edit] Technical Electronic Devices Research

  • Tama Army Technical Research Institute

[edit] Heavy Industries and Military Yard shipbuilding

  • Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha heavy Industries (naval military shipbuilding)
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe shipyard
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki shipyard
  • Kawasaki heavy Industries (naval military shipbuilding)
  • Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kobe dockyard.
  • Daihatsu Ltd. (naval military shipbuilding)
  • Zosensho K. K. Tama shipyard
  • Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Tama shipyard.
  • Hitachi Zosen's Sakurajima Osaka yard
  • Navy Kure Arsenal (naval military shipbuilding division)
  • Navy Sasebo Arsenal (naval military shipbuilding division)

[edit] Tanks and heavy Armours

  • Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Heavy Industries (tanks, armor, military engines)
  • Ikegai Iron Works Ltd. (military engines and armor)
  • Hitachi (military engines and armor)
  • Army Sagami Arsenal (tanks and armor)
  • Army Osaka Arsenal (tanks and armor)
  • Army Sasebo Arsenal (tanks and armor)

[edit] APCs, light armour

  • Isuzu Ltd. (cars and trucks, armoured vehicles, APCs)
  • Hino Motors Ltd. (APCs and armoured vehicles)

[edit] Military trucks, cars, motorcycles

  • Toyota (Cars and trucks, amphibious trucks)
  • Nissan (Cars and trucks)
  • Dowa Ltd. (Cars and trucks)
  • Nihon Nainenki Ltd. (light trucks)
  • Rikuo Nainen Co./Sankyo Co. (Motorcycles and light vehicles)
  • Daihatsu Ltd. (Cars and trucks)

Plus other companies and factories related to the military and the weapons industry.

[edit] Military industrial areas with the Munitions Ministry leading

  • Military Aircraft
    • Fighters
    • Bombers
    • Transports
    • Reconnaissance
    • Other types
  • Artillery
    • Field Artillery
    • Fortress Guns
    • Anti-Tank Guns
    • Heavy Anti-Aircraft Guns
  • Armoured Fighting Vehicles
    • Tanks
    • Tank Guns
    • SP Guns
    • Armoured Cars
    • Armoured Personnel Carriers
    • Other Vehicles
    • Experimental Vehicles
  • Military Vehicles
    • Truck
    • Passenger Cars
    • Motorcycles
    • Railroad Cars
    • Armoured Trains
    • Tractors
    • Miscellaneous Vehicles
  • Infantry Arms
    • Rifles
    • Pistols
    • Sub Machines Guns
    • Machine Guns
    • Infantry Mortars
    • Infantry Guns
    • Grenades & Grenade Dischargers
    • Anti-Tank Weapons
    • Light Anti-Aircraft Weapons
    • Flamethrower & Engineering Equipment
    • Military Sword, Bayonets & White Arms
    • Experimental Infantry Weapons
  • Vessels
    • River-Crossing Craft
    • Landing Craft
    • Motorboats
    • Gun Boats
    • Landing Craft Carriers
    • Transport Vessels
    • Oilers
    • War Vessels
    • Submarines
    • Destroyers
    • Aircraft Carriers
    • Cruisers
    • Battleships
    • Other Types of Vessel
  • Other Types of Conventional or Unconventional Weapons
    • Secret Weapons
    • Chemical Weapons
    • Biological Weapons
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Other Types of Weapons

[edit] Technical development in armaments

The Munitions Ministry was responsible for guiding and coordinating the scientific and technological development of national armaments and all research in Zaibatsu military industrial divisions. It also coordinated the technical support of the Ministry of Education, imperial university system, Tokyo University, Kyoto University, Riken (Japanese government Physics and Chemical Institute), private universities, private research centers, Navy Yokosuka Air Technical Institute, Army Tachikawa Air Technical Division, and arsenal research departments, among others.

[edit] Abolition

The Munitions Ministry was abolished in 1945, by the Allied occupation authorities.

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