Shizuichi Tanaka
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and Japanese Military Governor of the Philippines during World War II. Biography Early life and military service Tanaka was born in Issai village, Hyōgo prefecture (now part of the city of Tatsuno) and was the younger son of a large landowner. His family claim descent from Akamatsu Mitsusuke, and served as village heads during the Edo period. Tanaka graduated from the 19th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1907. One of his classmates was Masaharu Homma. He graduated with honors 28th class of the Army Staff College in 1916, specializing in infantry, and was sent on an Army scholarship to England, where he earned a degree in English literature at Oxford University where he studied the works of William Shakespeare. He was the flag bearer for the Japanese troops in London's victory parade at the end of World War I in July 1918. He was promoted to major in 1922. In May 1926, he was assigned as military liaison to the Japanese consulate in Mexico. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1927, and from March 1928 headed the North American Bureau within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff.