Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He died from injuries caused by a bomb set by Korean independence activist Yun Bong-gil in Shanghai.

Early life and education Shirakawa was born as the third son of an ex-samurai of Matsuyama Domain in Shikoku. He attended Matsuyama Middle School, but was forced to leave without graduating due to the difficult financial situation of his family, and worked as a substitute teacher. In January 1886, he secured a position with a military cadet school and was enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army as a sergeant in military engineering attached to the Guards Infantry Regiment. In December 1887 he was recommended as an officer cadet and served with the IJA 21st Infantry Regiment. He graduated from the 1st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1890, where his classmates included Kazushige Ugaki. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in March 1891.

Military career Shirakawa entered the Army Staff College in 1893, but was forced to leave the following year due to the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War. During the war, he was promoted to first lieutenant. He returned to graduate from the Army Staff College and was promoted to captain in 1898. Shirakawa was then assigned as section commander of the IJA 21st Infantry Regiment. In 1902, he was assigned to the staff of the Guards Division.

Promoted to major in 1903, Shirakawa returned to command the IJA 21st Infantry Regiment during the Russo-Japanese War. During the war, he was transferred to the staff of the IJA 13th Division. This division was given the independent assignment of occupying Sakhalin before the conclusion of the Portsmouth Treaty,Kowner, Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War, p. 107. landing on Sakhalin on 7 July 1905, only three months after being formed, and securing the island by 1 August 1905. As a result of its successful operation, Japan was awarded southern Karafuto during the Portsmouth Treaty, one of Japan's few territorial gains during the war. After the war, Shirakawa was assigned to the Personnel Bureau of the Army Ministry from October 1905. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1907, colonel in 1909, and commander of the IJA 34th Infantry Regiment.Ammenthorp, The Generals of World War II

In June 1911, Shirakawa became Chief of Staff of the IJA 11th Division, and was promoted to major general and commander of the IJA 9th Infantry Brigade.He served as Head of the Personnel Bureau from 1916 to 1919, and after his promotion to lieutenant general and commandant of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy.

In March 1921, he was given a combat command again, as commander of the IJA 11th Division, overseeing its withdrawal and return to Japan after the Japanese intervention in Siberia. In August 1922, he was transferred to command the IJA 1st Division. He was selected by General Yamanashi Hanzō to serve as Vice-Minister of the Army in October 1922 and also served as Head of Army Aeronautical Department.Wendel, Axis History Factbook during which time he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. Shirakawa was appointed commander of the Kwantung Army from October 1923.

Army Minister and death Promoted to full general in March 1925, Shirakawa subsequently served on the Supreme War Council from 1926 to 1932, and was Army Minister from 1927 to 1929 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tanaka Giichi.

During his tenure as Army Minister, Kwantung Army officers led by Daisaku Kōmoto staged the Huanggutun incident where they organised the assassination of Fengtian warlord Zhang Zuolin in June 1928. Prime Minister Tanaka reported to Emperor Hirohito that the incident had been staged by rogue officers within the army without orders from Tokyo and demanded that the perpetrators be punished. Shirakawa refused to punish the perpetrators and instead transferred them to other posts to avoid a court martial.

In January 1932, the Shanghai Incident caused tensions between Japan and China to rapidly escalate towards open war. Shirakawa was dispatched to China on 25 February 1932, to become commander of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army. He was under direct orders from Emperor Hirohito to bring the situation to a close. Shirakawa issued a cease-fire order on 3 March over the strong objections of his commanders and greatly angering the General Staff. However, the emperor was pleased, and the League of Nations General Assembly, which was poised to issue a strong condemnation of Japan, remained silent. However, two months later, on 29 April 1932, he was severely injured by a bomb set by Korean independence activist Yoon Bong-gil in Shanghai's Hongkou Park and died of his injuries on 26 May.Dupuy, Encyclopedia of Military Biography

Legacy Shirakawa was posthumously awarded with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, Order of the Golden Kite 2nd Class, and elevated to the rank of danshaku (baron) under the kazoku peerage system.『官報』第1617号「叙任及辞令」1932年5月24日。 His ashes were divided between graves located in his hometown of Matsuyama and in Tokyo's Aoyama Cemetery.

Honours Peerages and titles Baron (23 May 1932)

Court ranks Senior Eighth Rank (3 February 1892)『官報』第2576号「叙任及辞令」1892年2月4日。 Junior Seventh Rank (10 October 1894)『官報』第3388号「叙任及辞令」1894年10月11日。 Senior Seventh Rank (16 April 1898)『官報』第4436号「叙任及辞令」1898年4月18日。 Junior Sixth Rank (10 July 1903)『官報』第6007号「叙任及辞令」1903年7月11日。 Senior Sixth Rank (20 May 1907)『官報』第7165号「叙任及辞令」1907年5月21日。 Junior Fifth Rank (21 February 1910)『官報』第7998号「叙任及辞令」1910年2月23日。 Senior Fifth Rank (20 March 1915)『官報』第789号「叙任及辞令」1915年3月23日。 Junior Fourth Rank (28 February 1919)『官報』第1971号「叙任及辞令」1919年3月1日。 Senior Fourth Rank (30 March 1921)『官報』第3596号「叙任及辞令」1921年3月31日。 Junior Third Rank (15 May 1924)『官報』第3533号「叙任及辞令」1924年6月4日。 Senior Third Rank (1 June 1927)『官報』第162号「叙任及辞令」1927年7月14日。 Junior Second Rank (26 May 1932; posthumous)『官報』第1620号「叙任及辞令」1932年5月27日。

Orders and medals Year awardedRibbonDecorationNotes18 November 1895First Sino-Japanese War Medal『官報』第3904号・付録「辞令」1896年7月4日。28 November 1895Order of the Rising Sun, 6th class『官報』第3741号「叙任及辞令」1895年12月16日。29 November 1902Order of the Sacred Treasure, 5th class『官報』第5824号「叙任及辞令」1902年12月1日。1 April 1906Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class『官報』号外「叙任及辞令」1906年12月11日。1 April 1906Order of the Golden Kite, 3rd class1 April 1906Russo-Japanese War Medal1 August 1912Korean Annexation Commemorative Medal『官報』第248号・付録「辞令」1913年5月29日。16 May 1914Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd class『官報』第539号「叙任及辞令」1914年5月18日。7 November 1915First World War Medal (1914–1915)『官報』第1128号「叙任及辞令」1916年5月8日。10 November 1915Emperor Taishō Enthronement Commemorative Medal『官報』第1310号・付録「辞令」1916年12月13日。30 January 1920Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd class『官報』第2246号「叙任及辞令」1920年1月31日。1 November 1920Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class『官報』第2612号「叙任及辞令」1921年4月19日。1 November 1920First World War Medal (1914–1920)1 November 1920First World War Victory Medal『官報』第2903号「叙任及辞令」1922年4月10日。1 November 1922Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun『官報』第3347号「授爵・叙任及辞令」1923年10月18日。5 December 1930Imperial Capital Rehabilitation Commemorative Medal『官報』第1499号・付録「辞令二」1931年12月28日。26 May 1932Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers (posthumous)26 May 1932Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class (posthumous)26 May 1932China Incident War Medal (1931–1934)『官報』第2338号・付録「叙任及辞令二」1934年10月15日。 (posthumous)

Permission to wear foreign decorations Year awardedCountryRibbonDecorationNotes2 December 1915 Republic of ChinaOrder of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain, 2nd Class『官報』第1004号「叙任及辞令」1915年12月6日。25 May 1922 Kingdom of RomaniaOrder of the Crown of Romania, Grand Cross『官報』第2944号「叙任及辞令」1922年5月27日。26 July 1928 Republic of ChinaOrder of the Striped Tiger, 1st class『官報』第476号「叙任及辞令」1928年7月28日。29 March 1929 French RepublicGrand Officer of the Legion d'Honneur『官報』第674号「叙任及辞令」1929年4月1日。3 June 1929 United KingdomKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) 『官報』第731号「叙任及辞令」1929年6月8日。9 October 1930 Republic of Poland Order of Polonia Restituta, Grand Cross『官報』第1137号「叙任及辞令」1930年10月11日。

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