A cikin martani ga saukowar Allied a kan Guadalcanal, Babban Ofishin Jakadancin Japan ya ba da umarnin Ichikawa Ichikawa na 17 na Rundunar Sojojin Japan (IJA), kwamandan kwamandan da ke zaune a Rabaul kuma a karkashin jagorancin Laftanar Janar Harukichi Hyakutake, aikin sake dawo da Guadalcanal. Sojojin za su tallafawa sojojin ruwan Japan, ciki har da Sojojin Ruwa da ke karkashin jagorancin Isoroku Yamamoto, wanda ke da hedkwatarsa a Truk. Rundunar Sojoji ta 17, a wancan lokacin da ke da hannu sosai a yakin Japan a New Guinea, tana da 'yan raka'a kaɗan kawai. Daga cikin waɗannan, Brigade na 35 na Sojoji a karkashin Major General Kiyotaka Kawaguchi yana Palau, 4th (Aoba) Infantry Regiment yana cikin Philippines da 28th (IJA) Infantry Regiment, a karkashin jagorancin Ichikawa Ichikawa Ichikawa, sun sake kai hari a Rabaul.
Laftanar Janar Harukichi Hyakutake