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COMMANDER // 1887–1981

Yasuhiko Asaka

generalJapanJapan1 battle1 war

Lifespan

18871981

1900192519501975Second Sino-Japanese War · 1937-1945Battle of Nanking — January 1, 1937 · Japan · Second Sino-Japanese War

Active service 19371 battle across 1 war; first command at age 50.

Profile

Prince Yasuhiko Asaka was the founder of a collateral branch of the Japanese Imperial Family and served as a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese invasion of China and the Second World War. He was the son-in-law of Emperor Meiji and uncle by marriage of Emperor Hirohito. He is most notable for being the commander of Japanese forces outside Nanjing in December 1937, when he presided over the mass murder and rape of hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians during the Nanjing Massacre.

Source · Wikipedia · Q701503

Battles (1)

Last verified June 2026
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