Oku Yasukata

Oku Yasukata
Japanese General Count Oku Yasukata
Native name	奥 保鞏
Born	(1847-01-05)5 January 1847 Kokura, Buzen Province, Japan
Died	Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1871 - 1911
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	IJA 5th Division, IJA 1st Army, Imperial Guard of Japan, IJA 2nd Army
Battles/wars	Boshin War Taiwan Expedition of 1874 Satsuma Rebellion First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War
Awards	Order of the Golden Kite (1st class)

In this Japanese name, the family name is Oku.

Count Oku Yasukata (奥 保鞏, 5 January 1847 – 19 July 1930) was a Japanese field marshal and leading figure in the early Imperial Japanese Army.

Biography

Early life

Born in Kokura (now in present-day Kitakyūshū) to a samurai family of the Kokura domain in Buzen Province, Oku joined the military forces of the nearby Chōshū Domain during the Boshin War in their struggle to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate and bring about the Meiji Restoration.

Military career

Appointed a commander of the new Imperial Japanese Army, Oku fought against the disgruntled samurai insurgents during the Saga Rebellion of 1871. He was later a survivor of the Taiwan Expedition of 1874. During the Satsuma Rebellion, he defended Kumamoto Castle during its siege as commander of the 13th Infantry Regiment.

During the First Sino-Japanese War Oku succeeded General Nozu Michitsura commander of the IJA Fifth Division of the IJA First Army. Later, he successively held posts as commander of the Imperial Guards and Governor-general for the defense of Tokyo. He was elevated to the title of danshaku (baron) under the kazoku peerage system in 1895, and was promoted to army general in 1903.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Oku went to the front as commanding general of the IJA 2nd Army and was noted for his role in the Battle of Nanshan, Battle of Shaho, Battle of Mukden, and other campaigns.

Oku was awarded the Order of the Golden Kite (1st class) in 1906, and elevated from baron to hakushaku (count) in 1907. In 1911, he received the largely honorary rank of Field Marshal.

Oku refused to attend strategy and staff meetings, and thereby gained a reputation for being both a “lone wolf” and also a brilliant tactician capable of independent action. However, Oku's reluctance to attend the staff meetings was due to his partial deafness, and inability to comprehend and contribute to the discussions.

Post-war life

Oku had absolutely no interest in politics, and lived in virtual seclusion after the war. When he died in 1930, many people were astonished, thinking that he had died years previously.

References

Books

• Craig, Albert M. Chōshū in the Meiji Restoration. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1961.