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| Imperial Japanese Armed Forces |
|---|
 |
| Administration |
 Imperial Japanese Army(Dai Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) |
 Imperial Japanese Navy(Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun) |
| Rank insignia |
| History |
TheRanks of the Imperial Japanese Army were therank insignia of theImperial Japanese Army, used from its creation in 1868, until its dissolution in 1945 following theSurrender of Japan inWorld 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 wordRikugun (army) orKaigun (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:Taisa (colonel), so the rank ofRikugun Taisa denoted an army colonel, while the rank ofKaigun daisa denoted a naval captain.
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeve insignia (1868–1904)[1] | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 陸軍大将 Rikugun-Taishō | 陸軍中将 Rikugun-Chūjō | 陸軍少将 Rikugun-Shōshō | 陸軍大佐 Rikugun-Taisa | 陸軍中佐 Rikugun-Chūsa | 陸軍少佐 Rikugun-Shōsa | 陸軍大尉 Rikugun-Tai-i | 陸軍中尉 Rikugun-Chūi | 陸軍少尉 Rikugun-Shōi | 准士官・下副官 Junsikan·Kafukukan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English translation | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Warrant officer ·Adjutant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeve insignia (1868–1904)[1] | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 曹長 Sōchō | 一等軍曹 （近衛） Ittō-Gunsō (Konoe) | 二等軍曹 Nitō-Gunsō | 上等兵 Jōtō-Hei | 一等兵 （近衛） Ittō-Hei (Konoe) | 二等兵 Nitō-Hei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English translation | Sergeant major | Sergeant first class (Guard) | Sergeant 2nd class | Superior private | Private first class (Guard) | Private 2nd class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Officer is the one with the yellow star and red.Lower rank is the one with yellow star.
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | 大元帥陸軍大将 Daigensui-rikugun-taishō | 陸軍大将 Rikugun-taishō[a] | 陸軍中将 Rikugun-chūjō | 陸軍少将 Rikugun-shōshō | 陸軍大佐 Rikugun-taisa | 陸軍中佐 Rikugun-chūsa | 陸軍少佐 Rikugun-shōsa | 陸軍大尉 Rikugun-tai-i | 陸軍中尉 Rikugun-chūi | 陸軍少尉 Rikugun-shōi | 准尉 Jun-i | |||||||||||||
| Translation[2] | Commander-in-chief | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Warrant officer | |||||||||||||
| Showa 13 (1938) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| Showa 18[2] (1943) | .png){kind=icon} |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
| Shoulder | .png){kind=icon} |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
| Sleeve[2] | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | _Sleeve_(1943-1945).svg) | ||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Non-commissioned officers | Enlisted personnel | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | 曹長 (Sōchō) | 軍曹 (Gunsō) | 伍長 (Gochō) | 兵長 (Heichō) 伍長勤務上等兵 (Gochō Kinmu jōtōhei) | 上等兵 (Jōtōhei) | 一等兵 (Ittōhei) | 二等兵 (Nitōhei) | 三等兵 (Santōhei) |
| Translation[2] | Sergeant major | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Superior private | Private first class | Private second class | Private |
| Collar[2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Shoulder |  |  |  | .svg) |  |  |  | |
