title: Japanese North China Area Army
text: # Japanese North China Area Army
  
  The Japanese North China Area Army (北支那方面軍, Kita Shina hōmen gun) was an area army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  
  ## History
  
  The Japanese North China Area Army was formed on August 21, 1937 under the control of the Imperial General Headquarters. It was transferred to the newly formed China Expeditionary Army on September 23, 1939. Headquartered in Beijing, it was responsible for direction and coordination of the Japanese military activity in all of north China. It was demobilized in Beijing at the surrender of Japan.
  
  ## List of Commanders
  
  ### Commanding officers
  
  | | Name | From | To |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | General Hisaichi Terauchi | 26 August 1937 | 9 December 1938 |
  | 2 | General Hajime Sugiyama | 9 December 1938 | 12 September 1939 |
  | 3 | Lieutenant General Hayao Tada | 12 September 1939 | 7 July 1941 |
  | 4 | General Yasuji Okamura | 7 July 1941 | 25 August 1944 |
  | 5 | General Naozaburo Okabe | 25 August 1944 | 22 November 1944 |
  | 6 | General Sadamu Shimomura | 22 November 1944 | 15 August 1945 |
  
  ### Chiefs of Staff
  
  | | Name | From | To |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Major General Naozaburo Okabe | 26 August 1937 | 15 July 1938 |
  | 2 | Major General Tomoyuki Yamashita | 15 July 1938 | 23 September 1939 |
  | 3 | Major General Yukio Kasahara | 23 September 1939 | 1 March 1941 |
  | 4 | Lieutenant General Moritake Tanabe | 1 March 1941 | 6 November 1941 |
  | 5 | Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi | 6 November 1941 | 9 November 1942 |
  | 6 | Lieutenant General Sanji Okido | 9 November 1942 | 14 October 1944 |
  | 7 | Major General Gaku Takahashi | 14 November 1944 | 15 August 1945 |
  