Guwahati: For decades, the Battles of Imphal and Kohima have been remembered in Northeast India primarily through British and Allied accounts. However, a new book, The Battles of Imphal and Kohima: Japanese Operations in Northeast India, now offers a rare Japanese military perspective, bringing fresh insights into the battles that shaped the region’s history during World War II.
Published by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) under its Strategic Dialogue and Exchange Program, the book is a partial English translation of Senshi Sōsho: Imphal Operation, Japan’s official war history of the campaign. First published in Japanese in 1968, this version, supervised by Professor Haruo Tomatsu of the National Defense Academy of Japan, marks the first time that Japan’s military records on Imphal and Kohima have been widely accessible to English-speaking readers.
Most existing English research on the battles focuses on the British and Allied perspective, highlighting their defensive strategies and ultimate victory. However, this book provides Japan’s view of the campaign, including the military strategies of General Mutaguchi Renya and the Japanese 15th Army, the severe logistical struggles faced by Japanese troops, supply chain failures, the impact of monsoon rains, and internal leadership conflicts within the Japanese command. It also details the role of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) in the campaign, as seen by Japanese forces, and how the war devastated local communities, turning villages into battlegrounds and displacing thousands of civilians in Manipur and Nagaland.
This book is part of the Imphal Peace Museum Project, which seeks to preserve the memory of WWII’s impact on Northeast India. The Imphal Peace Museum, inaugurated in June 2019, stands at Red Hill, one of the fiercest battle sites of WWII. Supported by The Nippon Foundation and SPF and operated by the Manipur Tourism Association, the museum documents the local experiences of war and the cultural diversity of the region from the 1940s to the present.
Professor Haruo Tomatsu, who supervised the project, pointed out that while English-language materials on the battles are widely accessible, Japanese records remained largely unknown outside Japan. “There has been a historical gap—many people around the world can read British and Allied accounts, but only a few who understand Japanese have accessed Japan’s military records,” Tomatsu explained. “This book is an effort to bring Japan’s side of the story to a global audience.”
Sunami Atsushi, President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, reflected on the significance of the battles in his preface. “Many lives were lost in the mountains and valleys of Northeast India as a result of Operation Imphal, one of the fiercest battles of WWII. While Japanese and Allied soldiers perished, the greatest suffering was endured by the local people, whose peace was violently shattered. More than three-quarters of a century has passed, and memories of the war are fading. New generations must learn the lessons of the past if they do not wish to repeat them.”
Atsushi emphasized that while there are rich historical accounts in English from the Allied side, this book is the first English attempt to document Japan’s official records on the battle.
The book details how the first half of 1944 saw a bold yet ill-fated campaign by Japanese forces in northern Burma, centering on the ambitious Operation Imphal. Despite the valiant efforts of Japanese troops, the operation ultimately collapsed under the weight of a powerful Allied counteroffensive, exposing critical flaws in the Japanese chain of command and leaving a legacy of hard-learned lessons.
“Operation Imphal was intended to be a decisive strike, securing Burma’s long-term defense against Allied advances. However, the campaign quickly spiraled into a desperate struggle as the Japanese forces faced overwhelming resistance. Tactical misjudgments, logistical shortcomings, and the rigid refusal to adapt plans to the unfolding battlefield realities contributed to the operation’s disastrous outcome,” the book states.
“One of the most glaring issues was the breakdown in command and coordination. As the situation deteriorated, friction emerged at all levels of leadership, culminating in instances where division commanders led their troops into retreat rather than facing certain annihilation. As the offensive wore on, strategic decision-making became increasingly reckless, with higher command issuing aggressive assault orders that ignored the likelihood of failure. This relentless push drained the fighting strength of the Japanese units, exacerbating their vulnerabilities,” the book notes.
Following the collapse of Operation Imphal, Japanese forces were left with no choice but to undertake a grueling retreat under relentless downpours. The retreat was a nightmarish ordeal, marked by starvation, disease, and unrelenting enemy pursuit. The suffering endured by the soldiers in these final, desperate marches remains one of the darkest aspects of the campaign.
The events of 1944 in northern Burma set the stage for further setbacks, which would ultimately lead to the Japanese withdrawal from the region. The strategic failures of Operation Imphal—and the broader campaign in Burma—highlight the perils of inflexible command structures and overambitious military planning. The full account of these operations, including the 15th Army’s withdrawal and subsequent battles, will be explored further in the historical volume The Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay – the Failed Defense of Burma.
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