was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Biography Early career Satō was born in Yamagata prefecture and attended military preparatory school in Sendai. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1913 and the Army Staff College in 1921, and was assigned to administrative duties within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He spent two years as the head of the War History Bureau, during which time he came into contact with many important members of the Tōseiha political faction within the Army, including Kuniaki Koiso and Hideki Tōjō, and was involved in the creation of the Sakurakai organization with Kingoro Hashimoto. Also during this period, he had serious conflicts with the head of the General Affairs section of the General Staff Renya Mutaguchi, who also happened to be a staunch supporter of the rival Kōdōha faction. he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in December 1932 and assigned to the IJA 11th Infantry Regiment. From August 1934, he was assigned to the staff of the IJA 6th Division. During the February 26 incident, IJA 6th Division played a role in the suppression of the pro-Kōdōha attempted coup-d'etat. Soviet-Japanese border conflict Satō was promoted to colonel in October 1937 and assigned command of the Manchukuo-based IJA 75th Infantry Regiment. His regiment was at the Battle of Lake Khasan, refusing to budge from its positions even after sustaining over 50% casualties, and then ousted the Soviet forces from a disputed hill in a night assault which the Japanese considered to be a model of its tactical type. Satō later boasted that since he was not in favor with Tōjō, his unit had been given the worst position on the front lines, and he looked forward to being given the worst position again at the next battle. From December 1938 he was commander of the 2nd Sector, 8th Border Garrison, which was at the Nomonhan Incident. In August 1939 he was promoted to major general and was assigned to command the IJA 23rd Infantry Brigade, in Hailar, Manchukuo. The Burma campaign In March 1941, Satō was attached to the staff of the IJA 54th Division and in October 1941 became commander of the IJA 67th Independent Brigade. He was promoted to lieutenant general in December 1942. From March 1943, he was assigned command of the IJA 31st Division from the time of its activation in China.