Takeo Imai

Takeo Imai
Imai (middle) signing a document during the surrender of Japan to the Allies in 1945
Born	February 23, 1898 (1898-02-23) Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Died	June 12, 1982 (1982-06-13) (aged 84)
Rank	Japanese Colonel 1939 Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army
Alma mater	Nagano Junior High School 1915 Imperial Japanese Army Academy 1918
Spouse(s)	Kimiko
Children	5

Takeo Imai (23 February 1898 - 12 June 1982) was a Japanese Major General of the China Expeditionary Army^[1] who was born in the Nagano Prefecture. He played a notable role during the Sino-Japanese war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II. During the Bataan Death March, he freed prisoners as the orders violated his Bushido code. He served as a Vice-Chief of the General Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, as well as worked for the Japanese embassy in Beiping following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. In this role he met with Chinese officers at Chichiang to negotiate surrender. Taking on important military roles in China and the Philippines, he was a significant actor throughout Japan's invasion of China and held an important role in negotiating and maintaining peace between the two countries. He was particularly influential in his responsibility of postwar processing and allowing for smooth demobilization transitions.^[2] He retired in 1947.