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{{Infobox military unit
⚫
The Fujiwara kikan, or the F-Kikan, was an [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]] intelligence unit set up in [[Bangkok]] in late 1941. Headed by the [[Major Fujiwara Iwaichi]], chief of intelligence of the [[:Category:Japanese armies|15th army]], the F-Kikan was tasked to contact the Indian independence movement, the overseas Chinese and the Malayan Sultan with the aim of encouraging friendship and cooperation with Japan.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lebra|1977|p=23}}</ref>
| unit_name = ''Fujiwara Kikan''
| native_name = {{lang|ja|藤原機関}}
| image = F-Kikan logo.png
| caption = F-Kikan logo found on officers' armbands
| dates = 1941–1942
| disbanded = 16 February 1942
| country = {{flag|Empire of Japan}}
| branch = {{army|Empire of Japan}}
| type = [[Military intelligence]] [[Command (military formation)|Command]]
| role = [[Clandestine operation]]<br>[[Counterinsurgency]]<br>[[Counterintelligence]]<br>[[Covert operation]]<br>[[Espionage]]<br>[[Force protection]]<br>[[HUMINT]]<br>[[Intelligence assessment]]<br>[[Internal security]]<br>[[Interrogation]]<br>[[Jungle warfare]]<br>[[Law enforcement]]<br>[[PSYWAR]]<br>[[Public security]]<br>[[Raid (military)|Raiding]]<br>[[Reconnaissance]]<br>[[Tracking (Scouting)|Tracking]]
| size =
| command_structure = [[Imperial General Headquarters]]
| motto = 究極の誠意<br>("ultimate sincereness")
| colors =
| colors_label =
| notable_commanders = Major [[Iwaichi Fujiwara]]
}}
[[File:Fujiwara Kikan.jpg|thumb|Major Fujiwara greets Captain Singh of the Indian National Army, April 1942]]
⚫
{{nihongo|'''Fujiwara kikan'''|藤原機関|Fujiwara or Efu (F) Kikan}} was a [[military intelligence]] operation established by the [[IGHQ]] in September 1941. The Unit was transferred to [[Bangkok]] at the end of that month and headed by [[Major Fujiwara Iwaichi]], chief of intelligence of the [[:Category:Japanese armies|15th army]]. Its task was to contact the Indian independence movement, the overseas Chinese and the Malayan Sultans with the aim of encouraging friendship and cooperation with Japan.<ref name="Lebra 1977 23">{{Harvnb|Lebra|1977|p=23}}</ref> The unit was notable for its success in establishing cooperative ties between the [[Empire of Japan]] and the [[Indian independence movement]], [[overseas Chinese]] and various [[Malay states|Malay]] [[sultan]]s.<ref name="Lebra 1977 23"/>


==History and development==
Fujiwara's staff included five commissioned officers and two [[hindi]]-speaking interpreters. The Fujiwara Kikan was instrumental in establishing contact with [[Giani Pritam Singh]], and after the outbreak of the war and the Malayan invasion, with [[Capt. Mohan Singh]] that ultimately led to the establishment of the [[Indian National Army]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Lebra|1977|p=24}}</ref>
[[File:Fujiwara_Kikan_Aceh_Veterans.jpg|thumb|Former F-Kikan Aceh members pose with their Japanese leader, Masabuchi, 3 January 1943. Many of them later became civil servants in the [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies|Japanese occupation government in Indonesia]].]]
The F-Kikan was also instrumental in establishing relations with [[Indonesia]]ns resistance, especially in, [[Aceh]] that formed the backdrop of [[Japanese occupation of Indonesia]].<ref>[http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7428 Indonesian Volunteers in the Japanese Army.]</ref>
Based on experiences in China, the Imperial Japanese Army established a semi-autonomous unit to carry out liaison duties with local independence movements in [[Southeast Asia]] and transmit intelligence gathered from these movements back to the army command. Two such units were established before the outbreak of World War II in South-East Asia: the [[Minami Kikan]] and the F Kikan.<ref name=Newell83>{{Harvnb|Newell|1981|pp=Allen L, in Newell 1981, 83}}</ref>
The F-Kikan was replaced by the [[Iwakuro Kikan]] in [[1942]].

⚫
==References==
The F-Kikan was named after its leader, Major [[Fujiwara Iwaichi]], chief of intelligence of the [[Fifteenth Army (Japan)|Japanese 15th Army]], initially stationed in [[Bangkok]] in late 1941. Fujiwara's staff included five [[commissioned officer]]s and two [[Hindi]]-speaking interpreters. Fujiwara's motto was that the intelligence activity for Imperial Japanese Army is "ultimate sincereness".

After the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], the 15th Army was tasked with the [[Battle of Malaya|invasion of Malaya]], during which time F-Kikan rescued [[Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim of Kedah|Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim]] of [[Kedah]] and his family. His son (and future [[Malaysia]]n Prime Minister) [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]] made a radio announcement urging the Malay people to cooperate with Japan. F-Kikan also attempted to mobilize the anti-British [[Kesatuan Melayu Muda]], but since most of its leadership had been arrested by the British authorities shortly after the start of the war, its impact was minor.

The F-Kikan was also instrumental in establishing relations with [[Indonesia]]n resistance movements against [[Netherlands East Indies|Dutch colonial rule]], especially in [[Aceh]] in northern [[Sumatra]] which formed a backdrop to the [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies]].<ref>[http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7428 Indonesian Volunteers in the Japanese Army.]</ref> The F-Kikan movement also had massive amounts of resources in West Sumatra, strongly established within the province prior to the [[Invasion of Sumatra]] in large numbers as migrants, later also recruiting local recruits. The agency managed to create a pro-Japanese sentiment within West Sumatra and infamously tracked down [[Sukarno]]'s hiding place in [[Padang]].<ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=Muljana |first=Prof Dr Slamet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HshmDwAAQBAJ |title=Kesadaran Nasional ; Dari Kolonialisme Sampai Kemerdekaan (Jilid 1) |date=2008-01-01 |publisher=Lkis Pelangi Aksara |isbn=978-979-1283-55-7 |language=id}}</ref>

However, F-Kikan's greatest success was in its contacts with Indian independence leader [[Giani Pritam Singh Dhillon]] and Captain [[Capt. Mohan Singh|Mohan Singh]], and recruitment of some 40,000 [[British Indian Army|Indian]] [[Prisoner of War|prisoners of war]] into what eventually became the [[Indian National Army]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Lebra|1977|p=24}}</ref> This development was a tremendous coup for the Japanese government, and was a direct threat to the [[British Raj|British position in India]].

After the British [[Battle of Singapore|surrender of Singapore]] in 1942, F-Kikan was dissolved, and replaced by a new liaison agency, the [[Iwakuro Kikan]], or "I-Kikan", to coordinate activities between the Indian National Army and the Japanese army.

==See also==
* [[Japanese migration to Malaysia]]
* [[Japanese occupation of West Sumatra]] ‒ F-Kikan played a significant role in establishing the occupation in Sumatra
* [[Kempeitai]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2}}

==References==
⚫
== References ==
* {{Harvard reference
* {{Citation
| Surname1 = Lebra
| Given1 = Joyce C.
| surname1 = Lebra
| Year = 1971
| given1 = Joyce C.
| Title = Japanese trained armies in South-East Asia
| year = 1977
| title = Japanese trained Armies in South-East Asia
| URL =
| url =
| Publisher = New York,Columbia University Press
| publisher = New York, Columbia University Press
| ISBN = 0231039956
| ISBN = 0-231-03995-6
}}.
}}.
*{{Citation
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Fay
| surname1 = Fay
| Given1 = Peter W.
| given1 = Peter W.
| Year = 1993
| year = 1993
| Title = The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945.
| title = The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945.
| URL =
| url =
| Publisher = Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press.
| publisher = Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press.
| ISBN = 0472083422
| ISBN = 0-472-08342-2
}}.
}}.
* {{Citation
{{INA stub}}
| surname1 = Newell
[[Category:World War II Southeast Asia Theatre]]
| given1 = W.H.
| year = 1981
| title = Japan in Asia, 1942-1945
| url =
| publisher = National University of Singapore Press
| ISBN = 9971-69-014-4
}}.
*{{cite book
| last = Fujiwara
| first = Iwaichi
| year = 1983
| title = F. Kikan: Japanese Army Intelligence Operations in Southeast Asia During World War II
| publisher = Heinemann
| location =
| isbn = 962-225-072-6
}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225423/http://www.waseda.jp/L3-intelligence/iwaichi-e.html The Fujiwara Iwaichi Memorial], [[Waseda University]].
{{Azad Hind Fauj}}

[[Category:South-East Asian theatre of World War II]]
[[Category:Defunct Japanese intelligence agencies]]
[[Category:Indian National Army]]
[[Category:Indian National Army]]
[[Category:Indian Independence League]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Army]]
[[Category:Empire of Japan]]

Latest revision as of 23:41, 20 December 2024

Fujiwara Kikan
藤原機関
F-Kikan logo found on officers' armbands
Active1941–1942
Disbanded16 February 1942
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
TypeMilitary intelligence Command
RoleClandestine operation
Counterinsurgency
Counterintelligence
Covert operation
Espionage
Force protection
HUMINT
Intelligence assessment
Internal security
Interrogation
Jungle warfare
Law enforcement
PSYWAR
Public security
Raiding
Reconnaissance
Tracking
Part ofImperial General Headquarters
Motto(s)究極の誠意
("ultimate sincereness")
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Major Iwaichi Fujiwara
Major Fujiwara greets Captain Singh of the Indian National Army, April 1942

Fujiwara kikan (藤原機関, Fujiwara or Efu (F) Kikan) was a military intelligence operation established by the IGHQ in September 1941. The Unit was transferred to Bangkok at the end of that month and headed by Major Fujiwara Iwaichi, chief of intelligence of the 15th army. Its task was to contact the Indian independence movement, the overseas Chinese and the Malayan Sultans with the aim of encouraging friendship and cooperation with Japan.[1] The unit was notable for its success in establishing cooperative ties between the Empire of Japan and the Indian independence movement, overseas Chinese and various Malay sultans.[1]

History and development

[edit]
Former F-Kikan Aceh members pose with their Japanese leader, Masabuchi, 3 January 1943. Many of them later became civil servants in the Japanese occupation government in Indonesia.

Based on experiences in China, the Imperial Japanese Army established a semi-autonomous unit to carry out liaison duties with local independence movements in Southeast Asia and transmit intelligence gathered from these movements back to the army command. Two such units were established before the outbreak of World War II in South-East Asia: the Minami Kikan and the F Kikan.[2]

The F-Kikan was named after its leader, Major Fujiwara Iwaichi, chief of intelligence of the Japanese 15th Army, initially stationed in Bangkok in late 1941. Fujiwara's staff included five commissioned officers and two Hindi-speaking interpreters. Fujiwara's motto was that the intelligence activity for Imperial Japanese Army is "ultimate sincereness".

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 15th Army was tasked with the invasion of Malaya, during which time F-Kikan rescued Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim of Kedah and his family. His son (and future Malaysian Prime Minister) Tunku Abdul Rahman made a radio announcement urging the Malay people to cooperate with Japan. F-Kikan also attempted to mobilize the anti-British Kesatuan Melayu Muda, but since most of its leadership had been arrested by the British authorities shortly after the start of the war, its impact was minor.

The F-Kikan was also instrumental in establishing relations with Indonesian resistance movements against Dutch colonial rule, especially in Aceh in northern Sumatra which formed a backdrop to the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies.[3] The F-Kikan movement also had massive amounts of resources in West Sumatra, strongly established within the province prior to the Invasion of Sumatra in large numbers as migrants, later also recruiting local recruits. The agency managed to create a pro-Japanese sentiment within West Sumatra and infamously tracked down Sukarno's hiding place in Padang.[4]

However, F-Kikan's greatest success was in its contacts with Indian independence leader Giani Pritam Singh Dhillon and Captain Mohan Singh, and recruitment of some 40,000 Indian prisoners of war into what eventually became the Indian National Army.[5] This development was a tremendous coup for the Japanese government, and was a direct threat to the British position in India.

After the British surrender of Singapore in 1942, F-Kikan was dissolved, and replaced by a new liaison agency, the Iwakuro Kikan, or "I-Kikan", to coordinate activities between the Indian National Army and the Japanese army.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Lebra 1977, p. 23
  2. ^ Newell 1981, pp. Allen L, in Newell 1981, 83
  3. ^ Indonesian Volunteers in the Japanese Army.
  4. ^ Muljana, Prof Dr Slamet (2008-01-01). Kesadaran Nasional ; Dari Kolonialisme Sampai Kemerdekaan (Jilid 1) (in Indonesian). Lkis Pelangi Aksara. ISBN 978-979-1283-55-7.
  5. ^ Lebra 1977, p. 24

References

[edit]
  • Lebra, Joyce C. (1977), Japanese trained Armies in South-East Asia, New York, Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-03995-6.
  • Fay, Peter W. (1993), The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945., Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press., ISBN 0-472-08342-2.
  • Newell, W.H. (1981), Japan in Asia, 1942-1945, National University of Singapore Press, ISBN 9971-69-014-4.
  • Fujiwara, Iwaichi (1983). F. Kikan: Japanese Army Intelligence Operations in Southeast Asia During World War II. Heinemann. ISBN 962-225-072-6.
  • The Fujiwara Iwaichi Memorial, Waseda University.
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