List of territories occupied by Imperial Japan

This is a list of regions occupied or annexed by the Empire of Japan until 1945, the end of World War II in Asia following the surrender of Japan. Control over all territories except the Japanese mainland (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and some 6000 small surrounding islands) was renounced by Japan in the Unconditional Surrender after World War II and the Treaty of San Francisco. A number of territories occupied by the United States (the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) after 1945 have been returned to Japan, see Japan–United States relations for details. In 2005, there are still a number of disputed territories with Russia (the Kuril Islands dispute), South Korea (the Liancourt Rocks dispute), the People's Republic of China and Taiwan (the Senkaku Islands dispute). See Foreign relations of Japan for details.

Overview

Maximum extent of Japanese empire

This is a list of regions occupied or annexed by the Empire of Japan until 1945, the end of World War II in Asia following the surrender of Japan. Control over all territories except the Japanese mainland (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and some 6000 small surrounding islands) was renounced by Japan in the Unconditional Surrender after World War II and the Treaty of San Francisco. A number of territories occupied by the United States (the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) after 1945 have been returned to Japan, see Japan–United States relations for details. In 2005, there are still a number of disputed territories with Russia (the Kuril Islands dispute), South Korea (the Liancourt Rocks dispute), the People's Republic of China and Taiwan (the Senkaku Islands dispute). See Foreign relations of Japan for details.

Pre–World War II

colony

Occupied

World War II

Occupied or controlled region Japanese name Date Population est.(1943) Notes
South Sakhalin Karafuto Prefecture(樺太庁) of Imperial Japan prewar-1945 406,000
mainland China various 1931 - 1945 200,000,000 (est) Manchukuo 50 million (1940), Jehol, Kwantung Leased Territory, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, plus parts of : Guangdong, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia
Japan Naichi (内地) prewar-1945 72,000,000 Present day Japan
Korea Chosen (朝鮮) prewar-1945 25,500,000 Both North and South
Taiwan Taiwan (臺灣) prewar-1945 6,586,000
Hong Kong Honkon (香港) December 12, 1941 - August 15, 1945 1,400,000 Hong Kong (UK)
:: East Asia (subtotal) - - 306,792,000
Vietnam Annan (安南) July 15, 1940 - August 29, 1945 22,122,000 As French Indochina
Cambodia Kampujia (カンプジア) July 15, 1940 - August 29, 1945 3,100,000 As French Indochina, Japanese occupation of Cambodia
Laos Raosu　(ラオス) July 15, 1940 - August 29, 1945 1,400,000 As French Indochina, Japanese occupation of Laos
Thailand Tai　(タイ) December 8, 1941 - August 15, 1945 16,216,000 forced 'allied' state
Malaysia Maraya （マラヤ) Kita Borneo (北ボルネオ) March 27, 1942 - September 6, 1945 (Malaya), March 29, 1942 - September 9, 1945 (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah) 4,938,000 plus 39,000 (Brunei) As Kingdom of Sarawak (UK), Borneo (UK), Brunei (UK)
Philippines Firipin (フィリピン) May 8, 1942 - July 5, 1945 17,419,000 Philippines (USA)
Indonesia Higashi Indo (東印度） January 18, 1942 - October 21, 1945 72,146,000 As Dutch East Indies
Singapore Shōnan Island (昭南島)　 March 29, 1942 - September 9, 1945 822,000 Singapore (UK)
Myanmar Biruma (ビルマ) 1942–1945 16,800,000 Burma (UK)
East Timor Higashi Chimoru (東チモール） February 19, 1942 - September 2, 1945 450,000 Portuguese Timor
:: Southeast Asia (subtotal) - - 155,452,000
New Guinea N/A December 27, 1941 - September 15, 1945 1,400,000 As British New Guinea
Guam Ōmiya Island (大宮島) January 6, 1942 - October 24, 1945 from Guam (USA)
South Pacific Mandate N/A 1919-1945 129,000 from German Empire
Nauru N/A August 26, 1942 - September 13, 1945 3,000 from United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand
Wake Island, US Ōtori Island (大鳥島) December 27, 1941 - September 4, 1945 nil USA
Attu and Kiska Islands (US) Atsuta Island (熱田島) Narukami Island (鳴神島) June 6, 1942 - September 27, 1943 nil USA
Kiribati N/A December 1941 - January 22, 1944 28,000 from Gilbert Islands (UK)
:: Pacific Islands (subtotal) - - 1,433,000
:: Total Population - - 463,677,000

Disclaimer: Not all areas were considered part of Imperial Japan but rather part of puppet states, included separately for demographic purposes. Sources: POPULSTAT Asia[3]Oceania[4]

Other occupied World War 2 islands:

Areas attacked but not conquered

Raided without immediate intent of occupation

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gregory Smits (1999). Visions of Ryukyu: Early-Modern Thought and Politics. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 143–149·
  2. ↑ Leonard A. Humphreys (1995). 'The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920s. Stanford University Press. p. 26.
  3. ↑ http://www.populstat.info/Asia/asia.html Populstat ASIA
  4. ↑ http://www.populstat.info/Oceania/oceania.html Populstat OCEANIA
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