1. Hisao Tani was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War and a convicted war criminal, who was convicted of crimes against humanity.
15 Facts About Hisao Tani
1. 2.
Hisao Tani was born to a farming family in Okayama Prefecture.
3.
Hisao Tani graduated from the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1903, placing 16th in his class.
4.
Hisao Tani saw combat during that war as a second lieutenant in the Guard's First Infantry Battalion, although his training at the academy had been in artillery.
5.
Hisao Tani later wrote an account of his experiences in the war, together with first-hand accounts of survivors, which was published under the title Secret History of the Russo-Japanese War.
6.
In May 1930, Hisao Tani was named to the League of Nations Standing Committee on Military Aviation.
7.
Hisao Tani was promoted to major general in August 1930.
8.
Hisao Tani returned to Japan in 1932 to become Chairman of Military Investigation, and from August 1933 was commander of the Guards 2nd Brigade.
9.
Hisao Tani served as commander of Tokyo Bay Fortress from August 1934 to December 1935.
10.
Hisao Tani was then sent to Kumamoto to oversee the reconstruction of the IJA 6th Division.
11.
However, after the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Hisao Tani was recalled to active service to take command of the IJA 59th Army and concurrently the Chugoku Regional Army District.
12.
In February 1946, Hisao Tani was arrested on orders of the American occupation authorities and charged with Class B and Class C war crimes.
13.
Hisao Tani denied all charges at the trial, stating that his troops kept discipline, and the area of Nanjing assigned to his division had been largely evacuated due to the ferocity of the battle.
14.
Hisao Tani was consequently sentenced to death as a BC-class war criminal.
15.
Hisao Tani's son, Hayao Hisao Tani, was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.