Who was this person?
An army officer of the Meiji and Taishō eras, called the father of the Japanese cavalry. Born in Matsuyama, Iyo Province, he joined the army and studied cavalry in France. In the Russo-Japanese War he led a cavalry brigade and held off Russian attacks at battles such as Heigoutai. He rose to full general and after retiring served as principal of Hokuyo Middle School in his hometown. The naval officer Akiyama Saneyuki was his younger brother.
| Name | Akiyama Yoshifuru (秋山好古) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1859 – 1930 |
| Period | Late Edo–Shōwa |
| Birthplace | Matsuyama, Iyo Province (now Matsuyama, Ehime) |
| Main achievements |
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He was born in the Matsuyama domain in Iyo Province, the third son of Akiyama Hisataka, a low-ranking samurai. The family was poor; when his younger brother Saneyuki was born there was talk of sending the baby to a temple, but Yoshifuru is said to have stopped it, promising to study and earn money.
As a boy he helped at a public bathhouse to support the household. Looking for a school without fees, he entered the Osaka normal school, qualified as a teacher and worked at an elementary school. He was a young man with a strong desire to learn and a sense of responsibility for his family.
He entered the Army Military Academy, which also charged no fees, and began a military career. He later became one of the first students of the Army War College, learning modern tactics. What he learned from Meckel, an instructor invited from Germany, greatly shaped his thinking as an officer.
Around the time he entered the War College, he brought his younger brother Saneyuki from home to Tokyo and paid for his schooling and living. Saneyuki studied in Tokyo with his close friend Masaoka Shiki and later won fame as a naval staff officer. The brothers' strong bond later became widely known as the subject of a novel.
When Hisamatsu Sadakoto of the former Matsuyama lords went to study at the French military academy, he went to France as his aide. There he eagerly researched cavalry warfare and made it his mission to build up Japan's still weak cavalry. This experience shaped the rest of his life.
In the First Sino-Japanese War he led a cavalry battalion and distinguished himself in actions such as the capture of Port Arthur. Afterward he devoted himself to cavalry education, training many officers at school. Known as a heavy drinker with an unpretentious character, he is the subject of many anecdotes about his indifference to personal comforts.
After the Boxer Rebellion he went to Qing China, where he handled garrison duties and negotiations. Dealing with soldiers and officials of many countries, he is said to have won their trust through his fair and sincere character. He also met leading Chinese figures in this period and gained a broad international outlook.
In the Russo-Japanese War he led the 1st Cavalry Brigade. Against the more numerous Russian cavalry he fought by dismounting and using machine guns. At the Battle of Sandepu he stubbornly held off a large attacking force, and he also took part in the Battle of Mukden. He sent reconnaissance units deep behind enemy lines.
After the victory, his work in developing the cavalry earned him the title father of the Japanese cavalry. In the same war his brother Saneyuki excelled as a naval staff officer at the Battle of Tsushima, and the two are remembered as brothers who together supported the nation.
He was promoted to full general, having commanded the garrison army in Korea the year before. He later became Inspector-General of Military Education, responsible for the army's training of officers. However high he rose, he is said to have kept a simple life and disliked luxury.
He left active service for the reserve. There was talk of making him a marshal, but he is said to have declined, choosing to step aside quietly rather than seek military honors. After retiring he held no important military posts and returned home to Matsuyama, considering new work.
At the request of local people he became principal of the private Hokuyo Middle School in Matsuyama. People were astonished that a former full general should become a middle-school principal. He went to school diligently every day and devoted himself to educating the students.
After serving as principal for several years and stepping down, he died of illness in Tokyo. In his hometown of Matsuyama he is still cherished as a local hero alongside his brother Saneyuki and Masaoka Shiki. His unpretentious character and devotion to learning stayed in many hearts.
A. An army officer of the Meiji and Taishō eras, called the father of the Japanese cavalry. Born in Matsuyama, Iyo Province, he joined the army and studied cavalry in France. In the Russo-Japanese War he led a cavalry brigade and held off Russian attacks at battles such as Heigoutai. He rose to full general and after retiring served as principal of Hokuyo Middle School in his hometown. The naval officer Akiyama Saneyuki was his younger brother.
A. Period: Late Edo–Shōwa. Born in 1859, died in 1930.
A. Akiyama Yoshifuru was born in Matsuyama, Iyo Province (now Matsuyama, Ehime).
A. Yoshifuru was the elder brother and Saneyuki the younger. Yoshifuru trained cavalry in the army, while Saneyuki planned the Battle of Tsushima as a naval staff officer. The brothers’ lives, together with Masaoka Shiki’s, are depicted in Shiba Ryōtarō’s novel Clouds Above the Hill.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
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People of the Meiji period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.