Ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army

File:WW2 Japanese Army Uniforms Rank insignia Collar patches ornaments Poster chart 1944 US Government National Archives NARA Unrestricted Public domain 44-pa-1139 cropped.jpg

Imperial Japanese Army uniforms and ranks during World War II (US Army poster)

The Ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army were the rank insignia of the Imperial Japanese Army, used from its creation in 1868, until its dissolution in 1945 following the Surrender of Japan in World War II.

The officer rank names were used for both the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy, the only distinction being the placement of the word (army) or (navy) before the rank. Thus, for example, a captain in the navy shared the same rank designation as that of a colonel in the army: (colonel), so the rank of denoted an army colonel, while the rank of denoted a naval captain.

Meiji 19 insignia

Officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank

Sleeve insignia (1868–1904)Template:Sfn			File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-9 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-8 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-7 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png				File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-5 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-4 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-3 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-2 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-1b · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OF-1a · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-1 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png
Template:Hr
English translation			General		Lieutenant general		Major general				Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant		Second lieutenant		Warrant officer · Adjutant

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Sleeve insignia (1868–1904)Template:Sfn	File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-9 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png								File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-6 · cuff insignia - line (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png																File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-5 · cuff insignia - guard (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png						File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-4 · cuff insignia - guard (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-3 · cuff insignia - line (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png		File:Imperial Japanese Army OR-2 · cuff insignia (M1886 Dark Blue Uniform).png
Template:Hr
English translation	Sergeant major								Sergeant first class (Guard)																Sergeant 2nd class						Superior private		Private first class (Guard)		Private 2nd class

Cap badges

Officer is the one with the yellow star and red. Lower rank is the one with yellow star.

• File:大日本帝國陸軍 1.svg
• File:大日本帝國陸軍.svg

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank

Title			Template:Efn
TranslationTemplate:Sfn	Commander-in-chief		General		Lieutenant general		Major general				Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant		Second lieutenant		Warrant officer
Showa 13 (1938)			File:Japan-army-1938-1945 17-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 16-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 15-1-.gif				File:Japan-army-1938-1945 14-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 13-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 12-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 11-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 10-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 09-1-.gif		File:Japan-army-1938-1945 08-1-.gif
Showa 18Template:Sfn (1943)	File:Generalissimo collar rank insignia (Japan).png		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―大将.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―中将.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―少将.svg				File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―大佐.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―中佐.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―少佐.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―大尉.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―中尉.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―少尉.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―准尉.svg
Shoulder	File:Generalissimo rank insignia (Japan).png		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―大将.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―中将.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―少将.svg				File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―大佐.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―中佐.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―少佐.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―大尉.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―中尉.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―少尉.svg		File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―准尉.svg
SleeveTemplate:Sfn			File:Japan-Army-OF-9 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-8 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-7 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg				File:Japan-Army-OF-5 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-4 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-3 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-2 Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-1b Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-1a Sleeve (1943-1945).svg		File:Japan-Army-OF-(D) Sleeve (1943-1945).svg

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers				Enlisted personnel
Title
TranslationTemplate:Sfn	Sergeant major	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Superior private	Private first class	Private second class	Private
CollarTemplate:Sfn	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―曹長.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―軍曹.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―伍長.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―兵長.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―上等兵.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―一等兵.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―襟章―二等兵.svg	File:Blank.svg
Shoulder	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―曹長.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―軍曹.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―伍長.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―兵長(2).svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―上等兵.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―一等兵.svg	File:帝國陸軍の階級―肩章―二等兵.svg	File:Blank.svg

See also

• Ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy
• Imperial Japanese Army
• Ranks and insignia of the Japan Self-Defense Forces

References

Citations

Bibliography