List of World War II aces from Japan

This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Japan, as officially credited by the Imperial Japanese government. For other countries see List of World War II aces by country.

Contents: 

• Top
• 0–9
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

Abbreviations

• "KIA": Killed in action (dates are included where possible)
• "DOW": Died of wounds
• "KIFA": Killed in Flying Accident
• "MIA": Missing in action
• "POW": Prisoner of War
• "IJA": Imperial Japanese Army
• "IJN": Imperial Japanese Navy

A

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Kenichi Abe (阿部健市)	10 (five jointly)	Chief Petty Officer	IJN		Survived World War II.[1]
Takahide Aioi (相生高秀)	10	Commander	IJN		5 of the victories during Second Sino-Japan War; later served as Vice Admiral in the JMSDF[2]
Sadaaki Akamatsu (赤松貞明)	27	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		11 of the victories during Second Sino-Japan War[3]
Satoru Anabuki (穴吹智)	39	Sergeant Major	IJA		Later served as Lieutenant Colonel in the JGSDF[4]
Katsumi Anma (安間 克巳)	27		IJA		KIA 8 April 1942
Yoshitugu Aramaki (荒蒔 義次)	5		IJA
Yoshisuke Arita (有田 義助)	5		IJN
Mitsuzo Asai	7		IJA
Jiro Asano (浅野 二郎)	10		IJA
Tomita Atake (阿武 富太)	10		IJN

B

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Takeo Banno (阪野 隆雄)	10		IJN		KIA 7 October 1943
Kisaji Beppu	5		IJA		KIA 7 February 1942

C

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Jirō Chōno	7	Ensign	IJN		KIA 21 February 1941

E

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Yuichi Ema (江馬 友一)	6		IJN		KIA 29 October 1944
Masuaki Endo (遠藤 桝秋)	14		IJN		KIA 7 June 1943
Sachio Endo (遠藤 幸男)	8		IJN		KIA 14 January 1945
Toyoki Eto (江藤 豊樹)	12+1 shared +4 probable		IJA

F

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Iyōzō Fujita (藤田怡与蔵)	11 (42?)		IJN
Kihei Fujiwara (藤原 喜平)	5		IJN
Sumio Fukuda (福田 澄夫)	11		IJN		KIA 24 October 1944
Yoshio Fukui	11, 4 probable	Lieutenant	IJN
Shigeo Fukumoto (福本 繁夫)	72		IJN
Yonesuke Fukuyama	7		IJA
Goro Furugori (古郡 吾郎)	25+		IJA		KIA 3 November 1944
Haruyoshi Furukawa (古川 治良)	5+		IJA

G

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Hiroshi Gomi	7		IJA
Kurakazu Goto	8		IJN		KIA 9 September 1943

H

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Matsuo Hagiri (羽切 松雄)	13		IJN
Tomio Hanada (花田 富男)	25		IJA
Watari Handa	7	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN
Iwataro Hazawa (羽沢 岩太郎)	15		IJA		KIA 14 January 1945
Kaname Harada (原田要)[5][6][7]	9	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		Died on 3 May 2016
Kichigoro Haraguchi (原口 吉五郎)	24		IJA
Yoshiro Hashiguchi (橋口 嘉郎)	10		IJN		KIA 25 October 1944
Kazuo Hattori (服部 一夫)	10		IJN		KIA 10 March 1944
Sakuji Hayashi (林 作次)	6		IJN		KIA 28 May 1945
Takeomi Hayashi (林 武臣)	7		IJA
Yoshishige Hayashi (林 喜重)	5		IJN		KIA 21 April 1945
Nobuji Negishi (根岸 延次)	6		IJA
Hatsuo Hidaka	6	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN
Yoshimi Hidaka (日高 義巳)	20		IJN		KIA 7.6.1943
Ichiro Higashiyama (東山 市郎)	9		IJN
Yohei Hinoki (ja:檜與平) [8]	12		IJA		Died 1991
Tomio Hirohata (広畑 富男)	14		IJA		22 April 1945
Yoshio Hirose (広瀬 吉雄)	7		IJA		22 December 1944
Minoru Honda (本田 稔) [9][10][11]	17		IJN
Toshiaki Honda (本田 敏秋)	5+		IJN		13 May 1942
Mitsuo Hori (堀 光雄)	11		IJN
Isamu Hosono (細野 勇)	26		IJA		6 October 1943

I

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Chuichi Ichikawa (市川 忠一)	10+		IJA	Bukochosho	KIFA September 1954
Matao Ichioka (市岡 又夫)	11		IJN
Fusata Iida (飯田 房太)	7		IJN		Crashed after being hit at Pearl Harbor
Masao Iizuka (飯塚 雅夫)	8		IJN
Shigeo Iizuka ?
Tomesaku Igarashi (五十嵐 留作)	~20		IJA		KIA 17.6.1944
Fumisuke Ikuno (生野 文介)	6		IJA
Hideaki Inayama (稲山 英明)	5+		IJA
Misao Inoue (井上 操)	16		IJA		KIFA 15.12.1944
Teigo Ishida (石田 真吾)	9		IJN		KIA 16.5.1945
Susumu Ishihara (石原 進)	16		IJN
Shizuo Ishii (石井 静夫)	29		IJN
Isamu Ishii (石井 勇)	10		IJN
Seiji Ishikawa (石川 清治)	5		IJN
Tadashi Ishikawa (石川 正)	5		IJA
Kanshi Ishikawa (石川 寛志)	19		IJA
Chitoshi Isozaki	12	Lieutenant	IJA
Ishizuka Tokuyasu	15		IJA
Kiyoshi Ito (伊藤 清)	18 & 14 damaged		IJN
Fujitaro Ito (伊藤 藤太郎)	13+		IJA
Naoyuki Ito (伊藤 直之)	8		IJA		Died 2010
Susumu Ito	5		IJN
Tsutomu Iwai (岩井 勉)	11		IJN
Yoshio Iwaki (岩城 芳雄)	8		IJN
Tetsuzō Iwamoto (岩本 徹三)	80+	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN	Order of the Kite (5th Class), Order of the Rising Sun (7th Class)
Iwahashi Jozo	20+		IJA		KIA 23.4.1944
Hideo Izumi (和泉 秀雄)	9		IJN		KIA 30.5.1942

J

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Ryotaro Jobo (ja:上坊良太郎)	30		IJA		Died 2012

K

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Susumu Kajinami	24
Enji Kakimoto	5				POW 27.8.1942, Suicide 5.8.1944 See Cowra breakout
Morichiki Kamae	32
Teizo Kanamaru	8				KIA 24.12.1942
Keishu Kamihara
Sumi Kamito	40+				KIA 4?02/45
Moritsugu Kanai
Takeo Kanamaru	12				KIA 29/11/44
Nobuo Kanazawa	10
Masao Kanbara	7
Saiji Kanda	9				KIA 19.6.1943
Masashi Kaneko
Tadashi Kaneko	8 (3 in China)	Commander	IJN		KIA 14.11.1942
Naoshi Kanno	25
Saiji Kani	9				KIA 29.6.1939
Naoshi Kano	25				KIA 1.8.1945
Saiji Kani	9				KIA 29.6.1939, Battles of Khalkin Gol/Nomohan[12]
probably Naoshi Kanno
Tomkazu Kasai [13]	10
Isamu Kashiide (ja:樫出勇)	7+2 in China	Captain	IJA	Bukochosho (2nd Class)
Shirotaro Kashima	9				KIA 16.12.1944
Kanichi Kashimura	12	Ensign	IJN	Order of the Golden Kite (5th Class)	KIA 6.3.1943
Katsue Kato	9				KIA 16.4.1945
Kenji Kato	9				KIA 5.12.1944
Kunimichi Kato	16		IJN
Tateo Katō (加藤建夫)	18	Lieutenant Colonel Major General (Posthumously)	IJA	Order of the Golden Kite (Posthumously)	KIA 22.5.1942
Kiyomi Katsuki (ja:甲木清実)	16	Warrant Officer	IJN		Floatplane ace, 7 victories by F1M2 Pete/A6M2-N Rufe/N1K1 Rex.
Kosuke Kawahara	8+1 shared				KIA 25.3.1938, Gui'de Airbase, Sino-Japanese War[14]
Akira Kawakita	5				KIA 26.10.1944
Koki Kawamoto	8			Bukochosho
Masajiro Kawamoto
Ichiro Kawamura (河村一郎)	5	Warrant Officer	IJN		Floatplane ace
Masajiro Kawato	18
Tetsuo Kikuchi	12				KIA 19.6.1944
Takaji Kimura	26
Sadamitsu Kimura	8			Bukochosho	KIA 17.4.1945
Katsuaki Kira	13+9 in China
Saburo Kitahata	6+4 in China				KIA 23.1.1943
Teruhiko Kobayashi	14 (or 5)			Bukochosho	KIFA 4/6/1957
Hohei Kobayashi	10				KIA 25.1.1944
Yoshinao Kodaira	9+2 in China		IJN		Died in 2008
Sada Koga	31
Kiyoto Koga	13				KIFA 1938
Fujikazu Koizumi	11+3 in China				KIA 27.1.1944
Shizuo Kojima	6
Takeichi Kokubun	11				KIA 28/06/44
Sadamu Komachi[15]	18	Warrant Officer	IJN		Died 15.7.2012
Masaichi Kondō	13	Ensign	IJN
Kensui Kono	9
Kotaro Koyae	15
Osamu Kudō	7	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		KIA 3 March 1942
Juzo Kuramoto	5+4 in China				KIA 11.10.1942
Shiro Kuratori	6
Yasuhiko Kuroe	49+2 in China
Toshio Kuroiwa	13
Tameyoshi Kuroki	16
Seiichi Kurosawa	10				KIA 9/06/45
Shiro Kurotori (ja:黒鳥四朗)	6	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		Died 4 February 2012
Yoshiro Kuwabara	13				KIA 14.3.1944

M

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Hideo Maeda	13				KIA 17.2.1944
Koichi Magara	8				KIA 14.9.1942
Akio Matsuba	16+2 in China	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN
Jiro Matsuda	7+2 in China
Masao Masuyama	17
Morio Matsui	21				KIA 18/05/44
Susumu Matsuki	6, 2 probable, 3 shared
Momoto Matsumura	13				KIA 25.8.1944
Hidenori Matsunaga	16				KIA 23.4.1945
Eitoku Matsunaga	16
Hidenori Matsunaga					KIA 23/4/45
Kagemitsu Matsuo	10				KIA 23.12.1943
Toshio Matsuura	5+10 in China				KIA 2.12.1943
Yoshimi Minami	6+9 in China	Lieutenant	IJN		KIA in Kamikaze attack 25.11.1944
Yoshijiro Minegishi	6+3 in China				KIA 6.2.1944
Masoa Miyamaru ?
Goro Miyamoto	26
Zenjiro Miyano	16				KIA 16.6.1943
Masahiro Mitsuda	16
Kazunori Miyabe	6				KIA 3.11.1943
Hideo Miyabe	12
Isamu Miyazaki[16]	13				Died 2012
Gitaro Miyazaki	11+2 in China				KIA 1.6.1942
Isamu Mochizuki	7	Lieutenant	IJN		KIA Feb 1944 in ground actions
Mitsugu Mori	5+4 in China	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		Died 1960
Hideo Morinio	8+1 in China
Yutaka Morioka	5
Toyoo Moriura	8				KIA 25.10.1942
Noboru Mune	14				KIA 19.11.1944
Kazuo Muranaka	7+1 in China
Kaneyoshi "Kinsuke" Muto (ja:武藤金義)	23+5 in China	Ensign	IJN		KIA 24.07.1945

N

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Yoshikazu Nagahama	10/13		IJN		KIA 6.9.1943, became ace in a day during the Attack on Darwin
Kiichi Nagano	19				KIA 6.11.1944
Yoshimitsu Naka	5				KIA 419/08/44
Yoshihiko Nakada	45				KIA 9.11.1943
Kenji Nakagawa	8
Tadashi Nakajima	75
Bunkichi Nakajima	16				6.10.1943
Kunimori Nakakariya	16
Wataru Nakamichi	15
Saburo Nakamura	20				KIA 6/10/44
Yoshio Nakamura	9
Matsumi Nakano	5			Bukochosho
Katsujiro Nakano	7				KIA 4.5.1945
Tomoji Nakano	7
Masayuki Nakase	18+9 in China				KIA 1/01/45
Yoshiichi Nakaya	16
Shigeru Nakazaki	16				KIA 23.1.1943
Kiyoshi Namai	16
Mochifumi Nangō	8	Lieutenant	IJN		KIA 18/7/1938
Shigeo Nango	15				KIA 25/1/1944
Yashiro Nashiguchi	11
Nobuji Negishi	6+7 damaged (all B-29)				KIA 22/04/45
? Nishikyo	5
Hannoshin Nishio	5
Shigetsune Nishioka	8				KIA 28/10/1944
Masaharu Nishiwaki	5				KIA 8/12/44
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (西沢広義)	87	Lieutenant Junior Grade (Posthumously)	IJN		KIA 10/26/44, nicknamed "Devil of Rabaul", shot down by F6Fs while a passenger aboard a Ki-49 (aged 24), Mindoro, Philippines
Yoshinori Noguchi	6				KIA 25/10/1944
Takeshi Noguchi	14
Akiyoshi Nomura	10

O

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Tsutae Obara	8				KIA 25/7/1945
Kiichi (Ki-ichi) Oda	5+4 in China	Ensign	IJN		KIA 10/12/1944
Noritsura Odaka	12
Yojiro Ofusa	19
Koichi Ogata	7				KIA 8/08/44
Naoyuki Ogata	5			Bukochosho
Makoto Ogawa	9 (7 x B-29s)	Second Lieutenant	IJA	Bukochosho
Nobuo Ogiya (ja:荻谷信男)	24				KIA 13/2/1944
Mitsuo Ogura	16
Ryoji Ohara	16 (48?)
Hideo Oishi	6
Yoshio Oishi	15				KIA 12/12/44
Kenji Okabe	15	Ensign	IJN		KIA September 1943
Takashi Okamoto	6
Juzo Okamoto	5+4 in China				KIA 11/10/1942
Hiroshi Okano	19
Yoshio Oki	13+4 in China				16/06/43
Misao Okubu	8
Takeo Okumura	50+4 in China	Chief Petty Officer	IJN	Ceremonial Sword	KIA 22/9/1943
Shokichi Omori	9
Shigetaka Ōmori	13	Ensign	IJN		KIA 25/10/1942
Hiroshi Onazaki	14				6/09/45
Akira Onozaki	28
Megumu Ono	15				KIFA 1/2/1940
Satoru Ono	5+3 in China	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		Died 2001
Takeyoshi Ono	8				KIA 30/6/1943
Takashi Oshibuchi	6
Toshio Ota (太田敏夫)	34	Petty Officer 1st Class	IJN		KIA 21/10/1942
Kyushiro Otake	15				DOW in 1951
Nakakazu Ozaki (ja:尾崎中和)	19, 12-14 damaged				KIA 27/12/1943
Yukiharu Ozeki	14+				KIA 24/10/1944

R

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Shinobu Terada	8

S

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Shogo Saito	26				KIA 2/07/44
Chiyoshi Saito	7				KIA 2/7/1943
Saburo Saito	18
Toshio Sakagawa	49				KIFA 19/12/1944
Saburō Sakai (ja:坂井三郎) [17]	~28	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		Died 22/9/2000
Iori Sakai	9
Takao Sakano	10
Junichi Sasai (ja:笹井醇一)	26	Lieutenant Junior Grade Lieutenant Commander (Posthumously)		Order of the Golden Kite	KIA 26/8/1942, nicknamed "Richthofen of Rabaul"
Tomokazu Sasai	10
Yoshiichi Sasaki	6
Isamu Sasaki	38			Bukochosho (2nd Class)
Masao Sasakibara	12	Ensign	IJN
Hitoshi Sato	8				KIA 11/11/1943
Gonnoshin Sato	5				KIA 11/04/45
Mitsugu Sawada	12, 1 shared				KIA 5/3/1943
Eiji Seino	15
Hiroshi Sekiguchi	7+1 shared
Kiyoshi Sekiya	11				KIA 24/06/44
Hiroshi Shibagaki	13				KIA 22/1/1944
Rikio (Rikia) Shibata	13+14 in China				18/12/1944
Sekizen Shibayama	13
Shigeru Shibukawa	15
Yoshio Shiga	6	Lieutenant Commander	IJN
Masami Shiga	6
Yasuhiro Shigematsu	10				KIA 8/7/1944
Katsuma Shigemi	8				KIA 4/2/1943
Kenji Shimada	27				MIA 15/9/1939
Masaaki Shimakawa	8, 12 shared	Warrant Officer	IJN		Died 25/9/1997
Kiyoshi Shimizu	12				KIA 26/01/45
Kazuo Shimizu	18
Takeshi Shimizu	9
Yukio Shimokawa	19
Hiromichi Shinohara (ja:篠原弘道)	58	Warrant Officer Second Lieutenant (Posthumously)	IJA		KIA 27/8/1939, nicknamed "Richthofen of the Orient"
Toshio Shiozura	20
Yoshijiro Shirahama	11
Nagao Shirai	13 (including 11 x B-29)
Toshihisa Shirakawa	9				KIA 22/9/1943
Ayao Shirane
Naoharu Shiromoto
Hironojo Shishimoto
Tadashi Shono
Tokuya Sudo
Toshiyuki Sueda
Kazuo Sugino (ja:杉野計雄)
Shigeo Sugio
Shoichi Sugita (ja:杉田庄一)	70
Teruo Sugiyama
Motonari Suho
Tadao Sumi				Bukochosho (1st Class)
Goichi Sumino
Minoru Suzuki	8|
Hiroshi Suzuki
Kiyonobu Suzuki	9	Warrant Officer	IJN		KIA 26.10.1942

T

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Shigeru Takahashi
Kenichi Takahashi
Katsutaro Takahashi
Takeo Takahashi
Kaoru Takaiwa
Keiji Takamiya					KIA 5/08/44
Michiho Takarada	up to 7[18]	Warrant Officer	IJN	one Good Conduct stripe	Floatplane rear gunner ace, KIA 27/1/43
Toraichi Takatsuka
Shogo Takeuchi
Hiroshi Takiguchi					KIA 8/09/44
Kuniyoshi Tanaka				Bukochosho
Minpo Tanaka
Jiro Tanaka
Shinsaku Tanaka
Masao Taniguchi
Takeo Tanimizu (谷水竹雄)
Mitsuyoshi Tarui					KIA 6/02/45
Tadao Tashiro
Nobuo Tokushige
Yoshihisa Tokuji
Kosuke Tsubone
Ko Tsuchiya
Kazuo Tsunoda	9	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN

U

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Minoru Uchida	10
Sadao Uehara	13
Kazushi 'Popo' Uto (ja:羽藤一志)	19				KIA 13 September 1942

W

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Yoshio Wajima	11				KIA 23 February 1944
Yukiyoshi Wakamutsu (ja:若松幸禧)	20				KIA 18 December 1944
Hideo Watanabe	16
Watanabe	6

Y

Name	Kills	Rank	Service	Awards	Notes
Bunichi Yamaguchi	19
Sadao Yamaguchi	12				KIA 4 July 1944
Fumikazu Yamagushi	19
Akira Yamamoto	13	Lieutenant Junior Grade	IJN		KIA 24 November 1944
Ichirō Yamamoto	11	Ensign	IJN		KIA 19 January 1944
Tomezo Yamamoto	11				KIA 24 June 1944
Tadao Yamanaka	9
Koshiro Yamashita	11 +1 shared +1 probable				KIA 30/3/1944
Sahei Yamashita	13				KIA 9 February 1943
Mitsuo Yamato	8
Ichirobei Yamazaki	14				KIA 4 July 1943
Kenji Yanagiya	8+18 shared	Warrant Officer	IJN
Shigeru Yano	8				KIA 17 April 1942
Kozaburo Yasui	11				KIA 19 June 1944
Tamotsu Yokoyama (横山保)	5
Shokichi Yonekawa
Tadayoshi Yonekawa	6				KIFA
Katsuyoshi Yoshida	10
Mototsuna Yoshida	14				KIA 7 August 1942
Yoshio Yoshida	6+1 probable	Captain	IJA	Bukochosho
Hiroji Yoshihara	8
Keisaku Yoshimura	10				KIA 25 October 1942
Satoshi Yoshino	15				KIA 9 June 1942
Yoshitaro Yoshioka	6
Tokushige Yoshizawa	9				KIA 6 January 1945
Yoshito Yasuda
Kozaburo Yasui