Prince Kan'in Kotohito (閑院宮載仁親王, Kan'in-no-miya Kotohito-shinnō, November 10, 1865 – May 21, 1945) was the sixth head of a cadet branch of the Japanese imperial family, and a career army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff from 1931 to 1940.

His father was the twentieth head of the Fushimi-no-miya, one of the four shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family which were eligible to succeed to the throne if the main line should die out.

During his tenure, the Imperial Japanese Army committed many war crimes against Chinese civilians including the Nanjing massacre and the systemic use of chemical and bacteriological weapons.

[2][3] Prince Kan'in transmitted to the Army the emperor's first directive (rinsanmei) authorizing the use of chemical weapons on July 28, 1937.

[2] Large amounts of sneezing gas were utilized against the Chinese National Revolutionary Army at the Battle of Wuhan and in the Central China region.

[2] He forced the resignation of War Minister General Hata Shunroku (1879–1962), thus bringing down the Yonai cabinet in July 1940.