Publication of the English Book “The Battles of Imphal and Kohima: Japanese Operations in Northeast India”

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) has published the English book "The Battles of Imphal and Kohima: Japanese Operations in Northeast India", an excerpt version of "Senshi Sōsho: Imphal Operation".
 
This book was created as part of the "Imphal Peace Museum Project" by the Strategic Dialogue and Exchange Program, SPF. It is a partial English translation of the official Japanese record on the Imphal Operation, Senshi Sōsho: Imphal Operation, published in 1968 by the Defense Agency's War History Office (at the time). Existing English materials and research on the Imphal Operation in World War II are mostly based on British and Allied perspectives. In this context, SPF collaborated with Japanese scholars and experts, including Professor Haruo Tomatsu of the National Defense Academy, to produce this book focused on Japan's military actions in Northeast India during the Battles of Imphal and Kohima.
 
The "Imphal Peace Museum" was established in June 2019 in Imphal, Manipur, Northeast India, a site of fierce battles during World War II. The museum, supported by the Nippon Foundation for its infrastructure and by SPF for its exhibit concepts, operations, and human resource development, is operated by the local NGO "Manipur Tourism Association." The museum aims to record local community experiences during the Battle of Imphal and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Manipur from the 1940s to the present. This English translation project was realized at the initiative of those involved with the Imphal Peace Museum Project.

The book is supervised and edited by Professor Haruo Tomatsu of the National Defense Academy. He points out that English books about the Battles of Imphal and Kohima are predominantly written from the Allied, mainly British perspective, with few references to Japanese sources or testimonies.
 
During the translation project, Professor Tomatsu realized the significant gap in access to crucial materials: many people worldwide can access English materials, while only a few who can read Japanese are aware of the information available in Japanese media and academia about the Battles of Imphal and Kohima. Therefore, efforts must be made to make important Japanese materials accessible to non-Japanese readers and researchers.   
 
Additionally, given the original publication's year (1968) and the need to convey the progress of research over the past half-century to English-speaking readers, the English version includes a comprehensive introduction with papers by Japanese researchers, providing a critical perspective on the historical narrative.

Although the book is not available for general sale, a PDF version is being made available for free in consideration of its public interest. For those who wish to view a hard copy, please visit the National Diet Library.