Background
Koiso was born on March 22, 1880 in Utsunomiya, Japan, the son of a Samurai family. His father was a policeman.
military officer politician statesman
Koiso was born on March 22, 1880 in Utsunomiya, Japan, the son of a Samurai family. His father was a policeman.
Koiso graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1900 and went on to attend the Army Staff College.
Koiso's career embraced both the holding of important political offices and steady advance in the Japanese army. Koiso was chief of staff of the Kwantung Army in 1932 and commander in chief of the Japanese army in Korea after 1934. He was considered one of the inner group of Kwantung army officers that brought about the establishment of Manchukuo and in 1939-1940 was Minister of Overseas Affairs. He was appointed governor general of Korea in June 1942, holding that position until he was called upon to form a cabinet after Tojo resigned as premier on July 15, 1944. Koiso attempted to reorganize Japan's political, economic, and military structure for greater defense efforts, but his cabinet fell on April 5, 1945, after the loss of Okinawa. After Japan's surrender, he was arrested in November 1945 as a war criminal, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in Tokyo on November 3, 1950.