Sorge’s Contemporaries

Abstract This chapter demonstrates that, while Richard Sorge is the most famous Soviet spy to operate against Japan during the 1930s and early 1940s, he was far from the only one. The Soviets also operated a “legal” rezidentura within the Soviet embassy in Tokyo. Added to this, the Soviets had several other “illegals” in Japan, including John L. Sherman and Aino Kuusinen. Moreover, considerable success was achieved by spying on Japan in third countries, not least in the United States, where Harry Dexter White and Alger Hiss served as high-placed Soviet agents within the U.S. government. The chapter also introduces the Japanese diplomat Izumi Kōzō. Despite being almost unknown, including within Japan, Izumi’s contribution to Soviet intelligence during World War II was similar to, and may even have surpassed, that of Richard Sorge. That Sorge is so much better known than Izumi is testimony to Soviet, and now Russian, efforts to promote his image.