A reference book for Imperial Japanese Navy officers

A biographical service list covering Japanese naval officers from 1900 to 1945 is valuable for identifying people and tracing careers, even though it is not intended as narrative reading.

Question

Which naval-history book received over Christmas is most useful as a research reference?

Short answer

A directory of Imperial Japanese Navy officers and their 1900-45 service records, useful for tracing names and careers rather than narrative reading.

Notes

The book is essentially a directory rather than a conventional history. It lists Imperial Japanese Navy officers, their assignments and service dates across 1900-45, with many photographs. That density makes it poor cover-to-cover reading but an exceptional research tool. A historian can use it to identify an unfamiliar officer, follow postings and connect names found in operational documents.