10 Facts About Sankichi Takahashi

Sankichi Takahashi was an Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Sankichi Takahashi was instrumental in crushing the opposing moderate Treaty Faction but soon lost his command in another round of political turmoil.

Sankichi Takahashi held brief assignments on the high seas, commanding the cruiser Aso and battleship Fuso.

Sankichi Takahashi became chief of staff of the Combined Fleet in 1927, when Kanji Kato assumed command and subjected the fleet to the most rigorous and risky drills, attempting to compensate numeric constraints of the Washington Treaty with superior training.

In 1928, Sankichi Takahashi was appointed the first commander of the newly formed First Carrier Division, IJN's first air supremacy formation.

In February 1932, Sankichi Takahashi was appointed vice chief of Naval General Staff through the efforts of Kanji Kato while Prince Fushimi chaired the Staff from January 1932 to March 1941.

Immediately upon promotion, Sankichi Takahashi revived the plans to expand the Staff authority and reduce that of the Naval Ministry that he developed for Kanji Kato in 1922.

In November 1934, Sankichi Takahashi was appointed commander of the Combined Fleet and held this command for two years.

Sankichi Takahashi did not have significant naval commands during World War II; Allied press called him "president of the East Asia Development Association" in 1942 and "commander of the big Kure naval station" in 1944.

Sankichi Takahashi was an early adopter of Aikido and invited its founder Morihei Ueshiba to the Naval Staff College as a budo instructor; Ueshiba trained IJN officers for ten years.