'Sho 3' was the Japanese plan within 'Sho' for the strategic defence of Kyushu and Honshu islands in the Japanese home islands (summer 1944).

The plan was ready at the end of October 1944, with its details embodied in 'Ketsu' of December 1944 and based on high-level formations that were brought into existence on 1 February 1945.

Kyushu and the southern part of Honshu were the responsibility of Field Marshal Shunroku Hata’s 2^nd General Army, using Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama’s 16^th Area Army (14 divisions, seven independent mixed brigades and three tank brigades) for Kyushu and Lieutenant General Masamitsu Kawabe’s (7 April 1945 Lieutenant General Eitaro Uchiyama’s) 15^th Area Army (nine divisions and four independent mixed brigades) for southern Honshu.

The central and northern parts of Honshu were entrusted to Field Marshal Hajime Sugiyama’s 1^st General Army, which deployed from south to north Lieutenant General Tasuke Okada’s 13^th Area Army (six divisions, three independent mixed brigades and one tank brigade), Lieutenant General Keisuke Fujie’s 12^th Area Army (18 divisions, seven independent mixed brigades, two armoured divisions, three tank brigades and three Imperial Guards brigades for Tokyo) and Lieutenant General Teiichi Yoshimoto’s 11^th Area Army (six divisions and two independent mixed brigades).

Under the control of Imperial General Headquarters reserves could be drawn from the seven divisions of Lieutenant General Seishiro Itagaki’s 17^th Area Army's in Korea, and air support was provided by General Masamitsu Kawabe’s Air General Army with Lieutenant General Prince Yi Un’s (from 1 April 1945 Lieutenant General Takeo Yasuda’s) 1^st Air Army and Lieutenant General Michio Sugawara’s 6^th Air Army in Japan and Lieutenant General Giichi Itahana’s 2^nd Air Army in Korea.