Operation KETSU-GO
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Operation KETSU-GO was the top-level Japanese plan for defense of the home islands against American amphibious warfare. Given Japan's shortages in resources and technology, it was not intended to throw back an invasion, but to make it so costly that the United States would be more willing to negotiate.
Like the corresponding U.S. Operation DOWNFALL, it broadly split Japan into two defense zones, one for Kyushu and one for the Kanto Plain. There were contingencies for outlying areas, and a special defense zone, within the Kanto Plain, for Tokyo.
| Plan | Area covered | Command | Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| KETSU-GO 1 | Hokkaido, Kuriles, souther Sakhalin | Fifth Area Army | Imperial General Headquarters |
| KETSU-GO 2 | |||
| KETSU-GO 3 | Central Honshu | Twelfth Area Army | First General Army |
| KETSU-GO 4 | |||
| KETSU-GO 5 | |||
| KETSU-GO 6 | Kyushu | Sixteenth Area Army | Second General Army |
| KETSU-GO 7 |