Kodo Ha

The , Japanese for Kingly Way faction, was a faction of the Imperial Japanese Army which formed in the aftermath of the invasion of Manchuria. Like its rival faction, the Tosei Ha, it supported further expansion of the Japanese Empire into Manchuria. However, the Kodo Ha felt the military should pay more attention to the strategic advantages of the Soviet Union, while the Tosei Ha viewed China as Japan's main enemy.

The Kodo Ha was controlled by the Sakura Kai and held the loyalty of the local commanders in Manchukuo. Between 1933 and 1935, they engineered the assassination of various government ministers, including prime ministers, in order to achieve their goals.

In February 1936, the Japanese First Infantry Division revolted in Tokyo in support of the Kodo Ha, killing many government ministers and civil servants. The mutiny, engineered by the Sakura Kai, was eventually put down by imperial order. The Kodo Ha managed to keep control of the local commanders in Manchukuo, but the Tosei Ha, at least ostensibly, maintained control of the army. Accordingly, Japan opened hostilities with China, not the Soviet Union, in July 1937. (PROSE: The Shadow of Weng-Chiang)