Three Crows

A powerful faction in Japanese military politics leading to World War II, the Three Crows, Tetsuzan Nagata, Toshiro Obata and Yasuji Okamura, were influential officers. They first met in Germany in 1921, when all three were military attaches. They intended to modernize the Japanese military, purging it of samurai traditions and the Chosu Clan. The rival Satsuma Clan had gained power when Hirohito marreied a Satsuma princess.

Under the informal sponsorship of Prince Higashikuni, they strengthened Army Intelligence and began planning the conquest of Manchuria.