The Imperial Japanese Army had always placed a high priority on the use of unconventional military tactics. From before the time of the First Sino-Japanese War, Japanese operatives, posing as businessmen, Buddhist missionaries in China, Manchuria and Russia established detailed intelligence networks for production of maps, recruiting local support, and gathering information on opposing forces. Japanese spies would often seek to be recruited as personal servants to foreign officers or as ordinary laborers for construction projects on foreign military works.Deacon, A History of the Japanese Secret Service Such activities fell under the oversight of the 2nd Section of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office.Mercado, Nakano, The Shadow Warriors. Pp.1
