Nogi Maresuke

Nogi Maresuke
乃木 希典
Nogi standing before his house in Nogizaka, Tokyo, shortly before his suicide in 1912
Governor General of Taiwan
In office
14 October 1896 – 26 February 1898
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byKatsura Tarō
Succeeded byKodama Gentarō
Personal details
Born(1849-12-25)December 25, 1849
Edo, Japan
DiedSeptember 13, 1912(1912-09-13) (aged 62)
Tokyo, Japan
Awards
Nickname(s)Kiten
Count Nogi
Military service
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Branch/service Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service1871–1908
Rank General
Battles/wars

Count Nogi Maresuke (乃木 希典), also known as Kiten, Count Nogi GCB (December 25, 1849 – September 13, 1912), was a Japanese general in the Imperial Japanese Army and a governor-general of Taiwan. He was one of the commanders during the 1894 capture of Port Arthur from China and a prominent figure in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, as commander of the forces which captured Port Arthur from the Russians.

He was a national hero in Imperial Japan as a model of feudal loyalty and self-sacrifice, ultimately to the point of suicide. In the Satsuma Rebellion, he lost a banner of the emperor in battle, for which he tried to atone with suicidal bravery in order to recapture it, until ordered to stop. In the Russo-Japanese War, he captured Port Arthur but he felt that he had lost too many of his soldiers, so requested permission to commit suicide, which the emperor refused. These two events, as well as his desire not to outlive his master, motivated his suicide on the day of the funeral of the Emperor Meiji. His example brought attention to the concept of bushido and the controversial samurai practice of junshi (following the lord in death).[1]

  1. ^ Benesch, Oleg. (2014). Inventing the Way of the Samurai, p. 153.