Based on: 秦郁彦編『日本陸海軍総合事典』第2版、東京大学出版会、2005年, p. 142。

Last updated: 30/05/2023

Born on 16 October 1899 in the prefecture of Hyogo, he bore the rank of Major during the Japanese conquest of Nanjing in 1937. Both his father Fusataro and his older brother Yoshio were high ranking generals in the Imperial Army. He spoke German excellently. This is also the reason why both John Rabe as well as Dr. Georg Rosen had several contacts with Hongo, who served as military staff officer at the Japanese embassy.

Later during the war, he was promoted to Major General and was killed during a battle on New Guinea in 1943. Rabe spells his name throughout his entire diary as “Hungo”.