The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. It was formed 1 October 1898 in Hirosaki, Aomori, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War and was annihilated in the Philippines during the Pacific War at Rodriguez, Rizal in 1945. Its Tsūshōgō (code name) was . The 8th Division consisted of troops from the Tōhoku region of Japan, primarily Aomori, Akita and Yamagata Prefectures. Its first commander was General Tatsumi Naofumi, formerly commander of the Sendai Garrison. Division history As the tensions with Russia grew after the First Sino-Japanese War and Triple Intervention, the 8th Division was engaged in intensive cold-climate training, setting the stage for the infamous Hakkōda Mountains incident in January 1902, where 199 of 210 members of its 5th Infantry Regiment froze to death in Hakkōda Mountains. After the Russo-Japanese War began, the 8th Division was mobilized in June 1904. It was initially earmarked for a projected Japanese invasion of Primorskaya Oblast on the Siberian mainland, but was sent as a reserve force for the Siege of Port Arthur instead after that plan was shelved. It was then earmarked for the proposed invasion of Sakhalin, but the 13th Division was sent instead, The 8th Division remained in reserve until assigned as reinforcements at Battle of Sandepu in January 1905. It acted with distinction, repelling a Russian counterattack together with the 5th Division. In February 1905, the division participated in Battle of Mukden. From 1910, the 8th Division was assigned to garrison duties in Korea, and it also participated in the Siberian Intervention starting in 1921. During Siberian Intervention, the 8th division was assigned to garrison Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast. The 8th Division (initially only the 4th Brigade participated in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in the aftermath of the Mukden Incident in September 1931 and was assigned to Jiandao. The bulk of the division arrived in April 1932, and the division was at the Battle of Rehe from February 1933. It subsequently remained in Manchukuo as a garrison force. From 1937, the 8th division was subordinated to the Kwantung Army. On 13 January 1938, the division was assigned to 3rd Army remaining in Suiyang County. In 1939, its 32nd Infantry Regiment was transferred to the newly formed 24th Division, thus converting 8th Division to a triangular format. The division participated in the Kantokuen special training maneuvers in July