1st Division | |
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Active | January 1871–1945 |
Country | Empire of Japan |
Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
Type | Infantry |
Garrison/HQ | Tokyo, Japan |
Nickname(s) | Jade Division |
Engagements | First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War February 26 incident Soviet–Japanese border conflicts |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
The 1st Division (第1師団, Dai-ichi shidan) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō was the Jade Division (玉兵団, Tama-heidan). The 1st Division was formed in Tokyo in January 1871 as the Tokyo Garrison (東京鎮台, Tōkyō chindai), one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Tokyo Garrison had responsibility for the eastern region of Honshū (Kantō region), centered on the Tokyo metropolitan area. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888, based on recommendations by the Prussian military advisor Jakob Meckel to the Japanese government.