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General Baron 'Shigeru Honjō' (本庄繁 ''Honjō Shigeru'') (1876-1945) was a member of the nobility with an important career in the Imperial Army during the early period of the Second Sino-Japanese War. He was considered an ardent follower of Sadao Araki's doctrines.
Honjō was the commanding officer of 11th Regiment from 1919 to 1921. He served as adviser to Chang Tso-lin, in the Northeast Provinces of China, from 1921 to 1924. The following year he was given command of the 4th Brigade and then was made Military Attaché to China. In 1928 he was given command of the 10th Division.
In 1931 he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria, commanding the forces during the Mukden Incident and invasion of Manchuria.
When Honjō was relieved of command in 1932 he returned to Japan as a national hero, and was made a member of the Supreme War Council from 1932 to 1933. Then he became Chief Aide-de-Camp to the Emperor until 1936, when he retired. General Honjo was an important participant, along with Army minister Yoshiyuki Kawashima and prince Chichibu in the 2-26 Incident, a coup attempt in 1936 led by the Kodoha.
At the end of World War II he was brought back to be Privy Councilor. After the surrender in 1945 he was arrested as a suspected war criminal, and he committed suicide.

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★ Shigeru Honjo