# Koreshige Inuzuka

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[Captain](/source/Captain) **Koreshige Inuzuka** (犬塚惟重, *Inuzuka Koreshige*) was the head of the [Japanese Imperial Navy](/source/Japanese_Imperial_Navy)'s Advisory Bureau on Jewish Affairs from March 1939 until April 1942. Unlike his [Imperial Japanese Army](/source/Imperial_Japanese_Army) counterpart, Colonel [Yasue Norihiro](/source/Norihiro_Yasue), he believed strongly in the *[Protocols of the Elders of Zion](/source/Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion)*; these beliefs led him to think that attracting [Jews](/source/Jew) to settle in Japanese-controlled Asia was in the [Empire of Japan](/source/Empire_of_Japan)'s best interests.

## Biography

### Early life

Inuzuka was born in [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo) as the eldest son of a former [samurai](/source/Samurai) retainer of [Saga Domain](/source/Saga_Domain). His official residency was in [Saga Prefecture](/source/Saga_Prefecture). A graduate of a middle school affiliated with [Waseda University](/source/Waseda_University), he entered military service and graduated from the 39th class of the [Imperial Japanese Navy Academy](/source/Imperial_Japanese_Navy_Academy) in 1911. He went on to the [Navy Staff College](/source/Naval_War_College_(Japan)) and served on a number of vessels, including the [Japanese battleship *Hizen*](/source/Japanese_battleship_Hizen), cruisers [Japanese cruiser *Kasuga*](/source/Japanese_cruiser_Kasuga), [Japanese cruiser *Yakumo*](/source/Japanese_cruiser_Yakumo), [Japanese cruiser *Kitakami*](/source/Japanese_cruiser_Kitakami), [Japanese cruiser *Kiso*](/source/Japanese_cruiser_Kiso), and [*Nisshin*](/source/Japanese_cruiser_Nisshin).

### World War I

During [World War I](/source/World_War_I), Inuzuka was stationed in the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea), with the Japanese expeditionary force sent to [Malta](/source/Malta) as part of Japan's contribution to the [Allied](/source/Allies_of_World_War_I) war effort under the [Anglo-Japanese Alliance](/source/Anglo-Japanese_Alliance). After the war, he was stationed off the coast of [Vladivostok](/source/Vladivostok) during the [Siberian Intervention](/source/Siberian_Intervention) to aid the [White Russians](/source/White_movement) against the [Bolshevik](/source/Bolshevik) [Red Army](/source/Red_Army). It was there that he first heard of and read the *[Protocols of the Elders of Zion](/source/Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion)*, a powerful anti-Semitic document detailing a Jewish worldwide conspiracy. The document was forged and distributed by Russian General [Gregorii Semenov](/source/Gregorii_Semenov), a leader of the White forces.

In 1922, after returning to Japan, Inuzuka began to gather a coterie of sympathetic officers who believed in the *Protocols*. This group of so-called 'Jewish-experts' slowly became larger and more outspoken over the next several years. The group published many documents detailing their thoughts on the Jewish conspiracy, including lists of known Jews, and a Japanese translation of the *Protocols*, written by Yasue. After serving as a [military attaché](/source/Military_attach%C3%A9) to [France](/source/France), Inuzuka served on the battleship *[Fuji](/source/Japanese_battleship_Fuji)* and cruiser *[Kuma](/source/Japanese_cruiser_Kuma)*.

### As a Jewish expert

As [war with China](/source/Second_Sino-Japanese_War) approached in the 1930s, Inuzuka came to support the 'Manchurian faction,' a number of military men who believed that control of [Manchuria](/source/Manchuria) was crucial to Japan's survival. Inuzuka was stationed in [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai) from November 1934, came upon the idea of enticing Jews to settle in [Manchukuo](/source/Manchukuo) and to help build [infrastructure](/source/Infrastructure) there. Not only would they bring engineering knowledge and creative energy, but Jews living in Manchukuo would bring Japan favor from the [United States](/source/United_States) and other Western nations. Inuzuka believed that gaining the favor of the Jewish people was crucial, as the Jews, in his mind, controlled the world markets.

The [Five Ministers' Conference](/source/Five_Ministers'_Conference) in 1938 provided the formal go-ahead for Inuzuka and his colleagues to begin setting up a Jewish settlement in Shanghai.

In 1939, Inuzuka, along with Colonel Yasue and [Ishiguro Shiro](/source/Shiro_Ishiguro) of the [Foreign Ministry](/source/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_of_Japan), recommended that Japan set up an autonomous Jewish region near [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai); by providing a safe place for [Jewish refugees](/source/Jewish_refugees) from [Nazi Germany](/source/Nazi_Germany) to settle, and granting them the political and economic autonomy to live as they desired. In a report to his superiors that year, Inuzuka compared the Jews to *[fugu](/source/Fugu)*, the famous poisonous fish delicacy that if not prepared correctly could turn lethal. Thus, Inuzuka's plans regarding the Jews came to be known as the [Fugu Plan](/source/Fugu_Plan).

Inuzuka, fluent in [English](/source/English_language), [Russian](/source/Russian_language), and [French](/source/French_language), visited countless schools and [synagogues](/source/Synagogue), discussing Jewish problems and seeking aid or support from Jewish communities and organizations. He helped form the Pacific Trading Company, a joint Jewish-Japanese endeavor, and met with many of East Asia's top Jewish leaders, both religious and financial.

Over the next few years, Inuzuka was central to the operations of nearly every aspect of the Fugu Plan. Along with Yasue and a handful of others he coordinated everything from choosing and setting up sites for settlements, transporting Jews to the settlements, speaking with Jewish community leaders to gain economic and moral support, and working of course within the bounds granted him by the Japanese government and military. By 1942, however, the Plan fell apart. Japanese aid for Jews would not be tolerated by Japan's ally, Nazi Germany, and Japanese attempts to shuttle Jews through the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) were halted when Germany launched its invasion of Russia.

In 1941, Inuzuka's help in rescuing Jewish refugees from [Nazi Europe](/source/Nazism) was acknowledged and Inuzuka was granted a silver cigarette case by the [Union of Orthodox Rabbis](/source/Union_of_Orthodox_Rabbis) of the United States; the interior of the case bore an inscription thanking Inuzuka for his services to the Jewish people. He was transferred by the Navy to the [Philippines](/source/Philippines) in 1943, and after the war, the cigarette case saved him from being tried as a [war criminal](/source/War_criminal). The case was later donated to [Yad Vashem](/source/Yad_Vashem), the [Holocaust](/source/Holocaust) Memorial in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem).

Inuzuka established the Japan-Israel Association (日本イスラエル教会, *Nihon Isuraeru Kyoukai*) in 1952, which contained primarily ex-military men. He was president of the Association until his death in 1965.

## Beliefs and ideology

The *Protocols*, in reality an [antisemitic](/source/Antisemitic) [Tsarist](/source/Tsarist) fabrication, speak of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy, and of the incredible economic and political power of the Jewish people. Thus, even as he believed them quite dangerous, Inuzuka believed that convincing the Jewish people to favor Japan would bring Japan great economic rewards. Under the pen name Utsunomiya Kiyo, he published a book in 1939 discussing Jewish history in regard to Japan, and describing his belief that, since [Palestine](/source/Mandatory_Palestine) was closed to Jewish settlement by the British and Arabs, Jews would seek to return to their Oriental heritage somewhere else.

He also contributed anonymously to the monthly journal *Kokusai Himitsu Ryoku no Kenkyu* (国際秘密力の研究, *Studies in the International Secret Power*), which was funded by the Foreign Ministry and German Embassy.

## References

- Shillony, Ben-Ami (1991). "The Jews and the Japanese: the Successful Outsiders." Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company.
- Tokayer, Rabbi Marvin (1979). "The Fugu Plan." New York: Weatherhill, Inc.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Koreshige Inuzuka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshige_Inuzuka) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshige_Inuzuka?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.