Takashi Sakai (酒井 隆 Sakai Takashi; 1887–September 30, 1946) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He commanded the Japanese Army at the Battle of Hong Kong and was later captured and sentenced to death for war crimes.

In 1928, Sakai was military attache of the Japanese army stationed in Jinan. The Kuomintang army advanced to Jinan in its Northern Expedition campaign, and armed conflicts occurred between the two armies. Diplomats from Kuomintang were killed by the Japanese army. Sakai is believed to be the mastermind behind this incident. In 1935, Sakai was chief of staff of the Japanese army stationed in Tientsin, when a series of armed conflicts resulted in the Chinese government signing an armistice, essentially giving Japan control of its Hebei province.

Sakai was appointed commander of the Japanese 23rd Corps stationed in Canton in November 1941. On December 8, 1941 (December 7 in Hawaii), Japanese forces commanded by Sakai attacked Hong Kong a few hours after the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor. Mark Aitchison Young surrendered all British forces in Hong Kong on December 25, 1941 after 18 days of fighting. The Japanese army under Sakai's command then perpetrated massive atrocities against both civilians and surrendered soldiers in Hong Kong, a war crime for which he was later put on trial.

The Chinese War Crimes Military Tribunal of the Ministry of National Defence in Nanking sentenced Takashi Sakai to death on August 27, 1946. He was executed on September 30.

External link

• Trial of Takashi Sakai