Na nzaghachi na Allied landings na Guadalcanal, Japanese Imperial General Headquarters kenyere Ichiki 16th Army nke Imperial Japanese Army, a kọmpụta-sized iwu dabeere na Rabaul na n'okpuru iwu nke Lieutenant-General Harukichi Hyakutake, na ọrụ nke iweghachi Guadalcanal si Allied agha. Nke 17th Army, ugbu a nke ukwuu na-etinye aka na Japanese mkpọsa na New Guinea, nwere naanị nkeji ole na ole dị iji zipu na ndịda Solomons mpaghara. N'ime nkeji ndị a, 35th Infantry Brigade n'okpuru Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi nọ na Palau, 4th (A) Infantry Regiment nọ na Philippines, na 28th (I) Infantry Regiment, n'okpuru iwu nke Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki, nọ n'oké osimiri na-aga Guadalcanal.
Kiyotake Kawaguchi