Governor-General of Karafuto

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Between 1905 and 1947, there were various Governors of Karafuto. The administration of Chisima (Kurils) Archipelago was directly managed from Hokkaidō as a north frontier district. The administration of the islands was based on Etorofu (Iturup) Island.

Kuril's defense was entrusted to Kita Chisima and Minami Chisima Fortresess and the Imperial Japanese Army defensive organization along with the Imperial Japanese Navy with command in Sapporo and Nemuro. Some of the commanders in the area in August 1945 included Major General Iwao Zugino, Colonel Zueo Ikeda, Lieutenant-General Fuzai Tsutsumi, Major Zeiji Sato (on Shumushu Island), Colonel Ueda (on Matsuwa island), Major-General Niho (on Uruppu island), and Lieutenant-General Ogawa (on Etorofu island).

Originally, this was a northern district of Hokkaidō, but it was later organized into a separate unit and administered from Toyohara in the Suzuya Plain on the southern part of the island. Karafuto's defense was handled by the Imperial Japanese Army special frontier units of the Karafuto Fortress defensive organization and 88th Division. The last commander of this unit was Lieutenant-General Junichiro Mineki in August 1945. There were also some detachments of the Imperial Japanese Navy in Maoka and Ootomari ports. The governor-general was based at the Kokai-Do Toyohara Government Palace.

[edit] Governors-General of Karafuto

[edit] Russian Governors of Karafuto

After 1945, Karafuto was placed under the sovereignty of the Soviet Union, and in 1951, at the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan renounced its claims of sovereignty over Karafuto. The Japanese Governorate was replaced with a Soviet Governorate.

[edit] See also