Isamu Cho

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Isamu Cho (長 勇 Chō Isamu) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and an active and ardent supporter in the first attempts at military and right-wing coup d'etats in Japan.

As a recent officer graduate of military academy, he was assigned his first duties outside Japan. He was an active participant or took certain indirect participation in the March Incident and the Imperial Colors Incident, between other similar successes amongst Japanese Army leaders how Kingoro Hashimoto, Jiro Minami, Sadao Araki, and Nationalists partidaires how Ikki Kita, Shumei Okawa, Kanichiro Kamei, Kozaburo Tachibana and Mitsuru Toyama. In 1937-39 he was a member of Shanghai Expeditionary Force, Attached to Central China Area Army and Commanding Officer 74th Regiment, Manchuria.

The "Sakura Kai" (Cherry Society) was formed secretly under Hashimoto and Cho, with the patronage of Sadao Araki; its purpose has been traced to the plans of 1931 attempt to bring down the corrupt democratic government for replacement of a new establishment with state socialism political bases; their plans were supported by patriotic thinkers such as Kita, Okawa, Kamei, Tachibana and Toyama.

Cho had maintained his political interests along with his military tasks when the Kodoha faction had taken the civil government in 1941 under party leadership of Hideki Tojo. Cho was converted as an active member in such political movements in that period. During this time he served in the Ministry of the Army in 1941-1942 and 1944.

He entered service with the Kwantung Army, serving in various posts, including the Vice Chief of Staff "Unit 82" (Strike South Group planning-Army thought counterpart), as one expert in theme amongst Yoshihide Hayashi, the Chief of Staff in the same unit.

These discussion and thought groups utilized some strategic conferences in Hsinking which were about the importance of striking at the southern area against the Strike North Group, the main thinking group in The Japanese Army. After the losses in the Russian-Japanese War of 1938-39, incidents of such groups augmented the importance in relations to Southern planning, Cho worked in the Formosa Army, Indochina Expeditionary Army Hq (1942) and Southern Army Liaison Officer to 14th Army, Philippines, in link with his southern planning doctrines.

Later Cho was given other active wartime assignments and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. His last duties was Chief of Staff of Japanese forces (32nd Army) during the Okinawa Campaign against the American invasion in 1944.

Isamu Cho maintained his very Die-Hard personality, since his days as an active supporter of 1931s right-wing coup d'etat s. He was known for his quick temper and for slapping junior officers when angry or frustrated at them. Cho committed suicide at the end of the Battle of Okinawa.