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Ōdera Yasuzumi
was a general in the early Imperial Japanese Army, and the highest ranking casualty on the Japanese side in the First Sino-Japanese War. Life and career Ōdera was born in Satsuma Domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture), as the second son of a ''samurai'' in the service of the Shimazu clan. He studied at the domain's military academy, and fought in the Boshin War of the Meiji restoration. During the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, he fought alongside fellow Satsuma clansmen Yamamoto Gonnohyōe and Shibayama Yahachi. In an anecdotal account of the battle, Ōdera was sleeping when Tokugawa forces opened fire. When awakened by his comrades, he complained that he could not see the enemy since it was too dark, and he would wait until daylight to fire back as he did not want to waste ammunition. In 1872, he entered the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army as a second lieutenant. He was soon promoted to lieutenant, and in February 1874, Ōdera participated in the suppression of the Saga Rebelli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satsuma Domain
The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, located in the south of the island of Kyushu. The Satsuma Domain was ruled for its existence by the '' Tozama'' ''daimyō'' of the Shimazu clan, who had ruled the Kagoshima area since the 1200s, and covered territory in the provinces of Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga. The Satsuma Domain was assessed under the '' Kokudaka'' system and its value peaked at 770,000 '' koku'', the second-highest domain in Japan after the Kaga Domain. Totman, Conrad. (1993) ''Early Modern Japan'', p. 119 The Satsuma Domain was one of the most powerful and prominent of Japan's domains during the Edo period, conquering the Ryukyu Kingdom as a vassal state after the invasion of Ryukyu in 1609, and clashing with the British during the bombardment of Kagoshima in 186 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shimazu Clan
The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast with the '' fudai'' or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan. History The Shimazu were descendants of the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto. The Shimazu would become one of the families of Edo period ''daimyō'' to have held their territory continuously since the Kamakura period, and would also become, at their peak, the wealthiest and most powerful Tozama daimyō family with an income in excess of 700,000 ''koku''. The founder, Shimazu Tadahisa (d. 1227), was a son of ''Shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199) with the sister of Hiki Yoshikazu. Tadahisa's wife was a daughter of Koremune Hironobu, descendant of the Hata clan, whose name Tadahisa took at first. He received the domain of Shioda i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opportunities sometimes arise for service in the field with military forces of another sovereign state. The attache has the privileges of a foreign diplomat. History An early example, General Edward Stopford Claremont, served as the first British military attaché (at first described as "military commissioner") based in Paris for 25 years from 1856 to 1881. Though based in the embassy, he was attached to the French army command during the Crimean War of 1853-1856 and later campaigns. The functions of a military attaché are illustrated by actions of U.S. military attachés in Japan around the time of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904–1905. A series of military officers had been assigned to the American diplomatic mission in Tokyo since 1901, whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IJA 1st Division
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the . The 1st Division was formed in Tokyo in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Tokyo Garrison had responsibility for the eastern region of Honshū (Kantō region), centered on the Tokyo metropolitan area. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888, based on recommendations by the Prussian military advisor Jakob Meckel to the Japanese government. Action As one of the oldest Divisions in the Imperial Japanese Army, the 1st Division saw combat in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. After the wars, the division returned to Tokyo, with permanent headquarters opened in Minami-Aoyama 15 June 1918. The February 26 Incident was an attempted coup d'état staged by elements of the ''1st Division'' in Tokyo in 1936. Because the situation on the Soviet border was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IJA 4th Division
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was (from the Yodo River). History The 4th Division was formed in Osaka City in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Osaka Garrison had responsibility for the central region of Honshū (Kansai district), ranging from Shiga Prefecture to Hyōgo Prefecture. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888. Early action The ''4th regional command'' played a vital role in the defeat of the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877. During the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, the ''4th division'' landed on Liaodong Peninsula and performed security duties as part of army reserve, though its 7th Mixed Brigade was sent to northern Formosa in September 1895 during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1895), Japanese invasion of Taiwan, and helped to pacify the Kapsulan (Yilan Plain, Yilan) district. During the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its ''tsūshōgō'' was . History The 2nd Division was formed in Sendai, Miyagi, in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Sendai Garrison had responsibility for northern Honshū (the Tohoku region), ranging from Fukushima Prefecture in the south to Aomori Prefecture in the north. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888. The headquarters of the 2nd Division was located in the ''Ni-no-maru'' of Sendai Castle, where the campus of Tohoku University is now located. Its original composition included the 4th Infantry Regiment (raised in Sendai), 5th Infantry Regiment (raised in Aomori), 16th Infantry Regiment (raised in Shibata) and the 17th Infantry Regiment (raised in Akita). In the reorganization prior to World War II, the 29th Infantry Regiment (raised in Wakamatsu) was added. First Sino-Jap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imperial Guard Of Japan
In Japan, the Imperial Guard is the name for two separate organizations dedicated to the protection of the Emperor of Japan and the Imperial Family, palaces and other imperial properties. The first was the , a quasi-independent elite branch of the Imperial Japanese Army which was dissolved shortly after World War II. The second is the , a civilian law enforcement organization formed as part of the National Police Agency.（警察庁） Imperial Guard of the Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Guard of the Imperial Japanese Army was formed in 1867. It became the foundation of the Imperial Japanese Army after the Emperor Meiji assumed all the powers of state during the Meiji Restoration. The Imperial Guard, which consisted of 12,000 men organized and trained along French military lines, first saw action in the Satsuma Rebellion. It was organized into the 1st Guards Infantry Brigade which had the 1st and 2nd Regiments. The 3rd and 4th Regiments belonged to the 2nd Guards Infantry B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kumamoto Castle
is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and well fortified castle. The is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle. Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premier castles in Japan, along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle. Thirteen structures in the castle complex are designated Important Cultural Property. History Kumamoto Castle's history dates to 1467, when fortifications were established by Ideta Hidenobu. In 1496, these fortifications were expanded by Kanokogi Chikakazu. In 1588, Katō Kiyomasa was transferred to the early incarnation of Kumamoto Castle. From 1601 to 1607, Kiyomasa greatly expanded the castle, transforming it into a castle complex with 49 turrets, 18 turret gates, and 29 smaller gates. The smaller castle tower, built sometime after the keep, had several facilities including a well and kitchen. In 1610, the Honmaru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Company (military Unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are formed of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure. Usually several companies are grouped as a battalion or regiment, the latter of which is sometimes formed by several battalions. Occasionally, ''independent'' or ''separate'' companies are organized for special purposes, such as the 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company or the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company. These companies are not organic to a battalion or regiment, but rather report directly to a higher level organization such as a Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters (i.e., a corps-level command). Historical background The modern military company became popularized during the reorganization of the Swedish Army in 1631 under King Gustav II Adolph. For administrative purposes, the infantry was divided into companies consist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has been the city's mayor since April 2011. Hiroshima was founded in 1589 as a castle town on the Ōta River delta. Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Hiroshima rapidly transformed into a major urban center and industrial hub. In 1889, Hiroshima officially gained city status. The city was a center of military activities during the imperial era, playing significant roles such as in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the two world wars. Hiroshima was the first military target of a nuclear weapon in human history. This occurred on August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., when the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on the city. Most of Hiroshima was destroyed, and by the end of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saga Rebellion
The was an 1874 uprising in Kyūshū against the new Meiji government of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Saga no ran" in . It was led by Etō Shinpei and Shima Yoshitake in their native domain of Hizen. Background Following the 1868 Meiji Restoration, many members of the former ''samurai'' class were disgruntled with the direction the nation had taken. The abolition of their former privileged social status under the feudal order had also eliminated their income, and the establishment of universal military conscription had eliminated much of their reason for existence. The very rapid modernization (Westernization) of the country was resulting in massive changes to Japanese culture, language, dress and society, and appeared to many samurai to be a betrayal of the ''jōi'' (“Expel the Barbarian”) portion of the ''Sonnō jōi'' justification used to overthrow the former Tokugawa shogunate. Hizen Province, with a large ''samurai'' population, was a center of unrest aga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shibayama Yahachi
Baron was an admiral in the early Imperial Japanese Navy. Biography Born in Kagoshima, Satsuma domain, (present day Kagoshima prefecture), Shibayama participated as a Satsuma ''samurai'' in the Anglo-Satsuma War in his youth. Although a close friend of Togo Heihachiro, he declined to join the military and did not participate in the Boshin War to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. However, after the Meiji Restoration, and the establishment of the new Meiji government in Tokyo he enrolled in the government's development and colonization program, and was sent to the United States for two years from 1872. On Shibayama's return to Japan, he entered the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy as a naval artillery specialist. He fought in the Satsuma Rebellion in an artillery battalion, and served briefly as a crewman on the and . He was in charge of torpedo development from 1879–1883, and is called the “father of the Japanese torpedo”. Promoted to captain in 1885, Shibayama went to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
