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General was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, part-time writer, haiku poet, diplomat, and General (Taisho) of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He is best known for being overall commander of the Japanese garrison during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Even before the battle, General Kuribayashi insisted upon sharing the hardships of his men. He also refused to permit banzai charges, which he regarded as an unnecessary waste of his men's lives. Although the United States Marine Corps had expected to capture Iwo Jima in five days, Kuribayashi and his men waged guerrilla warfare against them for 36 days. While it is believed that he was killed in action in the final assault, Kuribayashi's body was never identified by the United States military. The 2006 movie ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' brought General Kuribayashi's story to an international audience for the first time. Kuribayashi was portrayed by Japanese actor Ken Watanabe. The film received wide acclaim and four Academy Award nominations. ==Early life== Tadamichi Kuribayashi was born into a minor samurai family in Hanishina District, Nagano prefecture. According to Kumiko Kakehashi, the Kuribayashi family had lived in the district since the 15th century.〔''So Sad to Fall in Battle'', page 199.〕 According to Vice Admiral Kaneko, who attended Nagano High School with Kuribayashi, "He once organized a strike against the school authorities. He just escaped expulsion by a hair. In those days, he was already good in poetry-writing, composition, and speech writing. He was a young literary enthusiast."〔Derrick Wright, ''The Battle for Iwo Jima'', page 41.〕 Kuribayashi graduated from Nagano High School in 1911. Although he had originally aspired to be a journalist, Kuribayashi was persuaded by his high school instructors to instead enter the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. Kuribayashi graduated from the Army Academy's 26th class in 1914, having specialized in cavalry. He continued on to the Army's Cavalry School in 1918. In 1923, he graduated from the 35th class of the Army War College with splendid marks and received a military sabre from the Taisho Emperor. Kuribayashi married Yoshii Kuribayashi (1904–2003) on 8 December of that year. Together they had two daughters and a son (Taro, Yoko and Takako). Kuribayashi was designated as deputy military attaché to Washington, D.C. in 1928. For two years, Kuribayashi traveled across the United States, conducting extensive military and industrial research. For a short time, he studied at Harvard University. Kuribayashi later recalled, "I was in the United States for three years when I was a captain. I was taught how to drive by some American officers, and I bought a car. I went around the States, and I knew the close connections between the military and industry. I saw the plant area of Detroit, too. By one button push, all the industries will be mobilized for military business."〔''The Battle for Iwo Jima'', pages 35–36.〕 According to his son, Taro Kuribayashi, "From 1928 to 1930, my father stayed in the United States as an exchange officer. In those days, he often gave me, a grammar school boy, printed letters. He always composed easy letters in order to let me read them without any help from others. He used to enclose some sketches with the letters. I have made a book of these picture letters. In the letters are so many scenes – while visiting Boston, he was lying sprawled on the gardens of Harvard University watching a clock tower, in another he is taking a walk in Buffalo, in another, playing with some American children and being invited to the house of Medical Doctor Furukohchi, etc. Throughout his letters, it is clear that my father used to drive in many directions in the United States, studied very hard late at night, and tried to be a gentleman. Also, he used to have many friends in foreign countries."〔''The Battle for Iwo Jima'', page 36.〕 After returning to Tokyo, Kuribayashi was promoted to the rank of major and appointed as the first Japanese military attaché to Canada. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1933.〔Ammenthorp, The Generals of World War II〕 During his services in Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in Tokyo from 1933–1937, he wrote lyrics for several martial songs. In 1940 Kuribayashi was promoted to major general. During the lead up to the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Kuribayashi is known to have repeatedly told his family, "America is the last country in the world Japan should fight."〔Kumiko Kakehashi, ''So Sad to Fall in Battle'', page 106.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tadamichi Kuribayashi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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