Saburō Inoue

Saburo Inoue (born February 6, 1887 – died June 4, 1959) was a Japanese Army officer whose final rank was Major General. He was also active as a member of the House of Peers and held the title of Marquis. At birth, he was the second son of Prime Minister Taro Katsura, and his maternal grandfather was Kaoru Inoue.

Career Overview:

He was born in 1887 as the second son of Marquis Taro Katsura, and later became the adopted son of Marquis Katsuji Inoue. After attending the preparatory and main courses of the Army Kindergarten and graduating from the Army Officer School in 1905, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Artillery in June 1906, serving with the 15th Field Artillery Regiment. Among his同期生 (classmates at the officer candidate school) were future notable figures such as Iwao Anan, Yōkichi Yamaguchi, Naozaburō Okabe, Keisuke Fuji, and Masataka Waki.

In January 1908, he was assigned to the 14th Field Artillery Regiment, and in April 1909, promoted to Lieutenant. He graduated from the Army Artillery School’s advanced course in November 1910, and in June 1911, served in the General Staff Office. He entered the Army War College in December 1913, was promoted to Captain in April 1916, and graduated from the war college in November of the same year. Subsequently, he became the commander of a company in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment. From August 1917, he served in the Military Affairs Bureau of the Army Ministry and, in June 1918, as a clerk involved in military affairs in the Military Department.

Between January 1919 and March 1920, he was dispatched to the Ministry of Finance, and after a supplementary posting, was assigned to the Guard Corps Field Artillery Regiment in December 1920. In March of that year, he studied in Europe at his own expense. He was promoted to Major in July 1921. Returning to Japan in August 1923, he briefly served as a battalion commander in the Guard Corps Field Artillery Regiment. In August 1924, he became a staff officer at the General Staff, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in March 1926. In July 1927, he was assigned to the Army Ordnance Department, where he conducted foreign military intelligence as the head of a newly established investigation team within the Army Ministry.

He was promoted to Colonel in August 1929 and joined the Army Science Research Institute. In December of that year, he was granted the title of Marquis and became a member of the House of Peers. Again, he served as the head of the mobilization section in the Army Ministry’s Planning Bureau in August 1931, and in August 1933, was appointed as a member of the Army Technical Headquarters. Promoted to Major General in August 1934, he was placed on standby and subsequently transferred to the reserves.

He played a political role, including during the post-war purge period, and was officially disqualified from public office in 1946.

Honors:

- He was awarded the Order of Third Class (Jusanmi) on October 15, 1940.

- As foreign decorations, he received permission on January 18, 1940, to wear the Commander’s Cross of the Iron Cross from Germany.

Family:

His adoptive grandfather and father-in-law was Kaoru Inoue; his adoptive father was Katsuji Inoue (nephew and adoptive son of Kaoru Inoue), and his adoptive mother was Sueko Inoue (niece of Kaoru Inoue). His biological father was Taro Katsura, and his mother was Sadako Shinji.

His wife was Chiyoko Inoue (1899–1931), the third daughter of Kaoru Inoue (legitimate, mother Tetsu Inoue) and also adopted as Katsuji Inoue’s daughter. She passed away in 1931.

His eldest son, Mitsunobu Inoue (1917–1983), was a professor of Japanese history at the University of Tokyo; his wife Aki was the third daughter of Yasutoku Futaido. His second son was Minakatsu Inoue (1918–1993), and his third son was Motohiro Inoue (December 2, 1918 – August 21, 1977). His eldest daughter, Takeko Mage, married Kyōhei Mage, a grandson of Yōhei Mage.

Other family members include grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with individual records available.