Ōmura Masujirō
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- In this Japanese name, the family name is Ōmura.
Ōmura Masujirō (大村 益次郎? 30 May 1824 - 7 December 1869) is a Japanese medical doctor and army leader during the Meiji Restoration period. He is regarded as the “Father of the Modern Japanese Army.”
[edit] Early Life and Education
Born into the family of a rural physician in 1824, Ōmura Masujirō from a young age had a strong interest in learning and medicine. Under the direction of Ogata Kōan, Masujirō studied Dutch learning, known as rangaku learning, with an emphasis on learning about Western medicine at Tekijuku in Osaka when he was twenty-two. He continued his education in Nagasaki under the direction of Philipp Franz von Siebold, a German physician and the first European to teach Western medicine in Japan. He further continued his education by learning English under the advisement of James Curtis Hepburn, a missionary from the United States and mastered subjects such as science and economics. His interest in Western military tactics was sparked in the 1850’s and it was this interest that led Omura Masujirō to become one of Japan’s most valuable military personnel in the creation of Japan’s modern army.
[edit] Early career
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After studying in Nagasaki, Masujirō returned to his village at the age of twenty-six to practice medicine, but found it hard to be content. His discontentment in his small village led him to accept an offer from Uwajima in 1853, agreeing to serve as an expert in Western studies and a military school instructor in exchange for the samurai rank that he was not born into. Masujirō taught at the Kobusho military academy in Edo in 1857 and in 1860 his domain hired him back from Uwajima to teach at the Choshu domain military academy and to start a reform of the domain’s army; they too gave him the ranking of samurai. It was this same year that Masujirō began his involvement with Kido Koin, who belonged to the Sonjuku group when he joined Kido in submitting a petition for the development of Takeshima island to the Bakufu. His relationship with Koin led to the joining of the two in later years in leading the battle against the Tokugawa shogunate.
[edit] Omura Masujirō As a Military Leader
Masujirō's involvement in Choshu domain positions between the years 1860 and 1865 led to him becoming a leader in the Justice faction and in Choshu. For a long period of time, the Justice faction held an unstable position in the government, but gained tremendous power after the Choshu civil war, which demonstrated their military dominance and led to the faction’s dominating presence in government affairs. During the second Choshu Expedition, which was ordered by the shogunate government, Masujirō played a dynamic role as an advisor to the military and led to continuing military reforms. His brilliant military tactics also led to Masujirō being chosen as a participant in the emergence of an imperial Japan.
[edit] The Meiji Restoration and the “Modern” Army of Early Meiji Japan
The Meiji Restoration period in Japan “is known traditionally as an era of bustling reform during which the leaders of the restored imperial government sought to discard a feudal and backward civilization and to replace it with the modernity of the West.”1 The Meiji period lasted from about 1868 to 1912 and was a period in which the Japanese underwent a great number of reforms. The Meji period began with an alliance between two of the most powerful domains in Japan at this time, Choshu and Satsuma against the Tokugawa shogunate and with this alliance, the fight against the shogunate began.
Though the probability of Japan establishing a strong modern military was very low, the central government elected to continue with its military plans under the leadership of Masujirō. Because of Masujirō’s prominent role in the early Restoration wars, his leadership capabilities were trusted. During a council meeting in June of 1869, Masujirō argued that if “the government {was} determined to become militarily independent and powerful, it was necessary to abolish the fiefs and the feudal armies, to do away with the privileges of the samurai class, and to introduce universal military conscription.”2 Masujirō's ideal military consisted of an army that resembled that of the French and a navy that resembled that of the British. Many in his government circle agreed with this setup, but differing ideas came about with trying to actually set up the system. Conservative leaders in Masujirō’s faction thought his ideas on modernizing and reforming the Japanese military were necessary, but felt that his ideas on terminating the samurai class and establishing a general conscription were too radical. “A man of strong character, Omura had come to entertain such disgust at the cramped military system of feudalism that a story is told of his refusing to talk to a close companion of arms who offended him by wearing his long samurai sword during a conference.”1 This story of Omura’s refusal to talk to a sword carrying samurai demonstrates his discontentment with the samurai military style and his desire to radically change the system. Though not agreed upon by all, his ideas were never strongly opposed.
[edit] Creation of Imperial Forces
As a “Choshu retainer and an expert military tactician, {who} argued for a stronger military stance against the Tokugawa supporters,” Masujirō played a critical part in the ending of the Tokugawa shogunate. Masujirō’s role as a master military tactician was strengthened and acclaimed in 1866 when he led the Choshu army in a victorious battle against shogunate troops in the Tohoku region. The continuous effort of Masujirō along with the combined efforts of other military leaders against the shogunate led to the Tokugawa Shogunate ending in November of 1867. Shortly after the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, the Boshin War began. Masujirō also participated in this war and assisted in leading to another victory during the Battle of Ueno on behalf of the imperial army. It was the winning of this battle under Masujirō’s leadership that started a major change in the shogunate government and marked the beginning of the process in which imperial forces began the overthrowing of the Tokugawa family in Edo. The overthrow of the shogunate was accomplished with the assistance of small imperial troops and domain forces, but Masujirō implemented a system that created imperial forces that were stronger in number and military tactics. He contributed not only to creating imperial forces, but also in training and equipping soldiers with his opening of military academies and munitions stores.
Later, Masujirō was appointed Vice-Minister of War. As Vice-Minister of War, he began to emphasize conscription and the advancement of the Japanese military through Western modernization. His ideas for modernizing Japan’s military were carried on after his death by his followers such as Yamagata Aritomo, Kido Koin, and Yamada Akiyoshi.1 Yamada Akiyoshi was the strongest leader out of the four and was mainly responsibly for establishing Japan’s modern military using the ideas of Masujirō. Akiyoshi promoted Masujirō’s ideas by establishing new military academies that taught Masujirō ways and worked closely with these academies, which led to a national army being built strictly on these new ideas. Yamagata Aritomo and Saigo Tsugumichi also had the ideas on Masujirō in mind when recruiting for troops. They desired to keep Masujirō’s ideas on adopting military conscription and abolishing clans, but realized that samurai and clan members would be highly opposed to this, so were willing to negotiate when necessary.
[edit] The Making of the Meiji Military and the Influence of Masujirō
For a large period of time, Japan’s isolated location worked to its favor and “permitted the Japanese to exist as a self sufficient society in a secure government.” This isolation also allowed the Japanese to keep their cultural identity while adapting neighboring China’s civilization. With the Meiji Restoration, Japan became a less isolated region and started the journey towards becoming a strong military force by 1905. The phrase "Fukoku kyohei", which loosely translates to “wealthy country, strong military” was the phrase that the Meiji government started basing their policies on and was responsible for many of the agreements and policies passed by the new government. The new Meiji government sought to alter some of the treaties that it held with western countries, strive towards a bigger emphasis on industrialization, and to build a modern military that would protect Japan from foreign invasion. During the Meiji Restoration, the government recognized the need for a stronger military force that placed their loyalty in the central government as opposed to individual domains. Most of the development of Japan’s modern military was under the guidance of Yamagata Aritomo, a devote follower of Masujirō and his ideas on military reform. Following the death of Masujirō, Aritomo traveled to Europe to study military science and military techniques that could be adapted in the Japanese military. Upon returning from Europe, Aritomo become the secretary to the Vice-Minister of Military Affairs. It was in this position that Aritomo started to uphold Masujirō’s ideas on military reform, including establishing an Imperial Force, eliminating the feudal system, and making political power centralized. Aritomo’s strong leadership skills lead to him becoming Vice-Minister of Military Affairs due to his organization of 10,000 men to form an Imperial Force. The establishment of a new military was further recognized when the elimination of feudalism finally took place in 1871. Aritomo was also responsible for introducing the concept of conscription in Japan’s military forces and in 1873, the government instituted a conscription act that required all Japanese males to serve in the military for three years subsequent to turning twenty one. Though Masujirō died before having the opportunity to enforce many of his radical ideas, the lasting impression that he left on his followers led to his policies and ideas to shape the making of the Meiji military years later.
[edit] The Later Years and Omura Masujirō’s Death
As a strong advocator for adapting Western ideas into the Japanese army and because of his radicalism, Masujirō faced opposition from many of his peers, including some conservative samurai in his faction. It was the opposition of some of these samurai that led to Masujirō’s demise in the late 1860’s. “With his ideas of sweeping social reforms as a prerequisite for a national army, and particularly with his plan for general conscription which struck at the very citadel of samurai privilege, Omura roused the fierce resentment of the clan reactionaries.” 1 While in Kyoto looking at sites for future military schools in September of 1869, Masujirō was attacked by two members of the joi ronin, a group of samurai who were highly opposed to foreigners and Western ideas. The joi ronin was also known to kill those who they felt represented Western principles. He died in December of that same year due to his wounds. 5 Soon after Masujirō's death, a bronze statue was built in his honor and was the first Western style sculpture in Japan. The statue, created by Okuma Ujihiro, was placed in the entrance of Yasukuni, a shrine and museum in Tokyo that honors Japanese soldiers that have died in battle and remains one of the most visited and respected shrines in Japan. 6
[edit] References and further reading
1 Soldier and Peasant in Japan: The Origins of Conscription E. Herbert Norman Pacific Affairs, Vol. 16, No. 1. (Mar., 1943), pp. 47-64.
2 The "Modern" Army of Early Meiji Japan Hyman Kublin The Far Eastern Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 1. (Nov., 1949), pp. 20-41.
3 Against the Restoration. Katsu Kaishu's Attempt to Reinstate the Tokugawa Family M. William Steele Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 36, No. 3. (Autumn, 1981), pp. 299-316.
4 "Kido Takayoshi." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 20 July 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045398>.
5 "Omura Masujiro." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 19 July 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9057101>.
6 Where Japan Deifies Its War Dead By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF; Published: July 30, 1995 New York Times
7 The Revolutionary Origins of Modern Japan By Thomas Huber Published 1981 by the Stanford University Press
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