The so-called Imperial Withdrawal refers to the alleged evacuation of Japanese Imperial Army and Navy personnel to the island of Formosa in the final weeks of 1945, following Japan’s formal announcment of surrender in August. The event remains one of the most debated and poorly documented episodes of the late war period, with much of the available information based on eyewitness accounts, rumors, and unverified testimonies.

On August 15, 1945, Emperor Shōwa announced Japan’s unconditional surrender. While some Imperial forces complied, isolated units and colonial administrators refused to accept the order. Among them was General Rikichi Andō, then Governor-General of Formosa, who is widely believed to have rejected the surrender directive. Several historians argue that Andō may have anticipated Japan’s defeat and had begun preparations to fortify the island months in advance. Reported measures included the stockpiling of food, fuel, and armaments, as well as large-scale construction projects in the island’s mountainous interior.

American reconnaissance reports from mid-1945 noted increased activity in central Formosa, including what were described as “unusual fortification efforts.” However, the precise scope of these preparations and the degree of coordination with Tokyo remain uncertain. Skeptics argue that the logistical conditions in late 1945 made such large-scale organization improbable, describing claims of a planned evacuation as exaggerated or mythologized in postwar narratives.

Moreover, various eyewitness accounts from coastal regions of China and Korea describe nocturnal maritime movements during the closing months of 1945. Residents of Incheon, Qingdao, and Dalian reported sightings of vessels entering ports under cover of darkness and departing the following evening, allegedly carrying soldiers and supplies bound for Formosa. Fishermen along China’s southeastern coast claimed to have transported small groups of armed men across the Formosa Strait. While none of these accounts have been independently verified, the consistency of the reports suggests that some level of evacuation may have occurred. Estimates of the number of personnel evacuated vary widely, ranging from a few thousand to as many as 150,000. The most frequently cited figure in secondary sources is approximately 100,000, though no definitive evidence has been found to confirm this number.

Due to continued resistance by Japanese forces in other parts of Asia, Allied strategic priorities in late 1945 were focused elsewhere. Plans for a potential invasion of Formosa were postponed, and after the costly Jeju Island operation in October 1945, Allied commanders determined that an assault on Formosa would result in excessive casualties. Instead, the island was subjected to a comprehensive naval blockade aimed at forcing eventual capitulation through isolation.

The Imperial Withdrawal remains a subject of historical controversy. Formosa’s postwar archives, long sealed by the ruling authorities, have prevented definitive confirmation or refutation of the event’s scale. While most historians agree that limited movements of personnel and materiel to the island occurred, the notion of a large-scale, coordinated exodus is disputed. By most people, however it is considered one of many myths born amids the post-surrender chaos that engulfed asia in 1945.