Akiyama Saneyuki
Encyclopedia
was a Meiji-period
career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
. He was famous as a planner of Battle of Tsushima
in the Russo-Japanese War
. The Japanese general
Akiyama Yoshifuru
was his elder brother.
, Iyo Province
, as a son of a poor samurai
. As a youth, he studied literature, especially traditional waka poetry
. The famous poet Masaoka Shiki
was his friend from childhood. Later the two young men went to Tokyo to study literature and Akiyama began to prepare for entry into the Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University. However, Akiyama was forced to abandon his study of letters as his elder brother Yoshifuru ordered him to go to Naval Academy in Tsukiji
, Tokyo instead, largely due to the economically severe condition of the Akiyama family.
While Akiyama was a student, the Naval Academy moved to Etajima
, in Hiroshima prefecture
, and was renamed the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
. Akiyama was an outstanding student, graduating at in 1890 at the top of the 17th class, out of 88 cadets. He graduated just weeks after the publication of the first and last chapters of Alfred Thayer Mahan
's classic study, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History
, 1660-1783 in its Japanese translation in July 1890.
Akiyama served his midshipman
tour on the Hiei
and cruiser . On commissioning as an ensign
in 1892, he rose through the ranks in a variety of routine shipboard assignments and duties that included deployments throughout the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea
, and European waters. He was assigned to the Ryūjō
. He subsequently served on the , , (during the Battle of Weihaiwei
in the First Sino-Japanese War
), and . Following the hostilities he served a tour at the Imperial Navy's Torpedo
school and then was assigned to naval intelligence, where he spent several months posing as a laborer and conducting missions in Manchuria
and Korea
.
by American marines and settlers, which nearly led to a rupture of diplomatic relations.
On Akiyama's arrival in New York, he attempted to contact Alfred Thayer Mahan for advice and recommendations on how to study at either the US Naval Academy or Naval War College
. Mahan was unwilling to help, aside from giving Akiyama a list of books to read. Akiyama then contacted the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt
, but his pleas to be allowed to attend the Naval War College were refused.
Akiyama’s tour of duty coincided with the start of the Spanish-American War
, and he joined the American fleet as a foreign military observer. He was able to watch American forces capture Santiago de Cuba
in June 1898, and the blockade of Havana
harbor in July. Akiyama submitted a lengthy report back to Japan on his observations, and noting problems in the blockade and landing operations. On conclusion of his tour, he served a short tour as a Naval Attache
with the Japanese Embassy in Washington D.C..
In February 1899, due to the efforts of the Japanese ambassador, Akiyama received permission to serve a six-month tour on board a US Navy warship, the , where he was able to observe American tactics and fleet operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean
firsthand. As a result of his service onboard, Akiyama participated in several lectures at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island
. On completion of his studies in the United States, Akiyama traveled to England from 27 December 1899 to 20 May 1900.
and assigned to various staff posts, and was the senior strategy instructor at the Naval War College (Japan)
from July 1902-November 1903. Akiyama initiated a curriculum reform using hypothetical situations to simulate the formulation of orders and development of realistic contingency plans. He also introduced the concepts of wargaming
and tabletop map exercises, and developed theories for a new strategic and tactical doctrines for the Japanese Navy based upon his observations during the Spanish-American War. Akiyama focused on Russia
as the primary threat to Japan in his lectures.
Akiyama was 34 years old, and was lecturing to officers who were of the same age, or in some cases his senior. Nonetheless, he achieved the respect of his peers due to his professional knowledge, expertise and personality.
, Akiyama was promoted to commander, but remained on the planning staff, and was a close and trusted confidant of Japanese Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet
, Togo Heihachiro
. Togo insisted that Akiyama accompany him into battle on his battleship Mikasa
as an advisor, and despite his junior rank Akiyama played a central role in planning for the Battle of Port Arthur
, Battle of the Yellow Sea
, and planning for arrival of the Russian Baltic Fleet and the subsequent Battle of Tsushima
. The objective of Japanese navy in Battle of Tsushima
was to destroy Russian fleets completely not to allow Russia for having influence on sea of Japan at any cost. He came up with a famous tactic, which is to change the advancing direction in front of enemy referring to an ancient book on Japanese pirates' tactics. During the preliminary negotiations for the Treaty of Portsmouth
, the Japanese government had designated Akiyama as the senior naval representative, but his mother's death led to his replacement.
on Mikasa, and subsequently his first command, as captain of Akitsushima. He was subsequently captain of the , , , and battlecruiser
.
Akiyama was promoted to rear admiral
on 1 December 1913. Soon afterwards, the Siemens-Vickers Naval Armaments Scandal
of 1914 shook up the government, forcing the resignations of Yamamoto Gonnohyōe
and Ōkuma Shigenobu
. Akiyama remained one of the few senior officers completely untouched by suspicion or corruption, and was nominated by Yashiro Rokuro
as Director-General of the Navy in an effort to restore public confidence. Akiyama served on the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
until his retirement on 1 December 1917. His major accomplishment during this period was to have the Otowa stationed permanently at Shanghai
, from which it helped support a large network of intelligence agents posing as exchange students in all corners of China. At the same time, Akiyama maintained a regular and secret correspondence with Sun Yat-sen
, assisting him also materially in his efforts to prevent Yuan Shikai
from establishing a new empire.
With the outbreak of World War I
, Akiyama traveled to Europe via the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Finland
, and from there to England, where he met with his old acquaintance, former British naval observer Commander William Christopher Pakenham
. He returned to Japan via the United States to assume command of the IJN 2nd Fleet
in October 1917, but by this time he was already very ill, and was forced to resign in late 1917.
On retirement, Akiyama was promoted to vice admiral
. In his final years, he became obsessed with religion, especially with the Oomoto
movement and Nichiren sect Buddhism
and the Heart Sutra
. Akiyama died of peritonitis
in 1918 at the young age of 49, His grave is at Aoyama Cemetery
in Tokyo.
, along with their friend Masaoka Shiki
, are the main characters in Shiba Ryotaro's popular multi-volume novel, Saka no ue no kumo
. The novel is also the basis for a three-year NHK
television series, also called Saka no ue no kumo
.
The Akiyama birthplace in Matsuyama is now a tourist attraction.
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. He was famous as a planner of Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. The Japanese general
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
Akiyama Yoshifuru
Akiyama Yoshifuru
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and was considered the father of the modern Japanese cavalry. Akiyama Yoshifuru was Vice Admiral Akiyama Saneyuki's older brother.-Early life:...
was his elder brother.
Early life and career
Akiyama was born in Matsuyama DomainIyo-Matsuyama Domain
The was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, with its holdings centered in modern-day Matsuyama, Ehime.-History:The Iyo-Matsuyama domain passed through several hands before settling as the fief of a branch of the Hisamatsu-Matsudaira. In the Bakumatsu period, the domain took part in the Tokugawa...
, Iyo Province
Iyo Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku. Iyo bordered on Awa, Sanuki, and Tosa Provinces. It was sometimes called ....
, as a son of a poor samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
. As a youth, he studied literature, especially traditional waka poetry
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
. The famous poet Masaoka Shiki
Masaoka Shiki
, pen-name of Masaoka Noboru , was a Japanese poet, author, and literary critic in Meiji period Japan. Shiki is regarded as a major figure in the development of modern haiku poetry...
was his friend from childhood. Later the two young men went to Tokyo to study literature and Akiyama began to prepare for entry into the Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University. However, Akiyama was forced to abandon his study of letters as his elder brother Yoshifuru ordered him to go to Naval Academy in Tsukiji
Tsukiji
Tsukiji is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, the site of the Tsukiji fish market. Literally meaning "reclaimed land," it lies near the Sumida River on land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 18th century, during the Edo period....
, Tokyo instead, largely due to the economically severe condition of the Akiyama family.
While Akiyama was a student, the Naval Academy moved to Etajima
Etajima, Hiroshima
is a city located on the island of Etajima in Hiroshima Bay in southwestern Hiroshima, Japan.The city was formed on November 1, 2004 from the merger of the town of Etajima from Aki District with three towns from Saeki District: Nōmi, Ōgaki, and Okimi.As of March 1, 2008 population data, the city...
, in Hiroshima prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, and was renamed the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
The was a school established to train officers for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It originally located in Nagasaki, moved to Yokohama in 1866, and was relocated to Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1869. It moved to Etajima, Hiroshima in 1888...
. Akiyama was an outstanding student, graduating at in 1890 at the top of the 17th class, out of 88 cadets. He graduated just weeks after the publication of the first and last chapters of Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide...
's classic study, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History
The Influence of Sea Power upon History
The Influence of Sea Power Upon History: 1660-1783 is a history of naval warfare written in 1890 by Alfred Thayer Mahan. It details the role of sea power throughout history and discusses the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most...
, 1660-1783 in its Japanese translation in July 1890.
Akiyama served his midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
tour on the Hiei
Japanese corvette Hiei (1877)
was the second and last vessel in the of armored sail-and-steam corvettes of the early Imperial Japanese Navy. Hiei was named after the Mount Hiei, outside of Kyoto, and the name was subsequently used for the World War II battleship .-History:...
and cruiser . On commissioning as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in 1892, he rose through the ranks in a variety of routine shipboard assignments and duties that included deployments throughout the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and European waters. He was assigned to the Ryūjō
Japanese battleship Ryujo (1864)
The or Jo Sho Maru, was a steam ironclad warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed by Thomas Blake Glover and built in Scotland for the private navy of the fief of Kumamoto, where it was called the Jo Sho Maru. It was delivered to the new Imperial Japanese Navy on 8 May 1870, and sailed...
. He subsequently served on the , , (during the Battle of Weihaiwei
Battle of Weihaiwei
The Battle of Weihaiwei was a 23 day siege with a major land and naval component during the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place between 20 January and 12 February 1895 in Weihai, Shandong Province, China) between the forces of Meiji Japan and Qing China...
in the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
), and . Following the hostilities he served a tour at the Imperial Navy's Torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
school and then was assigned to naval intelligence, where he spent several months posing as a laborer and conducting missions in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
Studies in the United States
After his promotion to lieutenant in 1896, Akiyama was sent to the United States as a naval attaché from 26 June 1897 to 27 December 1899. It was a time of heightened tension between Japan and the United States, due to the overthrow of the Kingdom of HawaiiKingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
by American marines and settlers, which nearly led to a rupture of diplomatic relations.
On Akiyama's arrival in New York, he attempted to contact Alfred Thayer Mahan for advice and recommendations on how to study at either the US Naval Academy or Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
. Mahan was unwilling to help, aside from giving Akiyama a list of books to read. Akiyama then contacted the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, but his pleas to be allowed to attend the Naval War College were refused.
Akiyama’s tour of duty coincided with the start of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, and he joined the American fleet as a foreign military observer. He was able to watch American forces capture Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
in June 1898, and the blockade of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
harbor in July. Akiyama submitted a lengthy report back to Japan on his observations, and noting problems in the blockade and landing operations. On conclusion of his tour, he served a short tour as a Naval Attache
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
with the Japanese Embassy in Washington D.C..
In February 1899, due to the efforts of the Japanese ambassador, Akiyama received permission to serve a six-month tour on board a US Navy warship, the , where he was able to observe American tactics and fleet operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
firsthand. As a result of his service onboard, Akiyama participated in several lectures at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. On completion of his studies in the United States, Akiyama traveled to England from 27 December 1899 to 20 May 1900.
Instructor at the Navy War College
On his return to Japan, Akiyama was promoted to lieutenant commanderLieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
and assigned to various staff posts, and was the senior strategy instructor at the Naval War College (Japan)
Naval War College (Japan)
The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
from July 1902-November 1903. Akiyama initiated a curriculum reform using hypothetical situations to simulate the formulation of orders and development of realistic contingency plans. He also introduced the concepts of wargaming
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
and tabletop map exercises, and developed theories for a new strategic and tactical doctrines for the Japanese Navy based upon his observations during the Spanish-American War. Akiyama focused on Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
as the primary threat to Japan in his lectures.
Akiyama was 34 years old, and was lecturing to officers who were of the same age, or in some cases his senior. Nonetheless, he achieved the respect of his peers due to his professional knowledge, expertise and personality.
Russo-Japanese War
With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, Akiyama was promoted to commander, but remained on the planning staff, and was a close and trusted confidant of Japanese Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
, Togo Heihachiro
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
. Togo insisted that Akiyama accompany him into battle on his battleship Mikasa
Japanese battleship Mikasa
is a pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, launched in Britain in 1900. She served as the flagship of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō during the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904, and the Battle of Tsushima on 27 May 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War. The ship is preserved as...
as an advisor, and despite his junior rank Akiyama played a central role in planning for the Battle of Port Arthur
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
, Battle of the Yellow Sea
Battle of the Yellow Sea
The Battle of the Yellow Sea was a major naval engagement of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 10 August 1904. In the Russian Navy, it was referred to as the Battle of 10 August. The battle foiled an attempt by the Russian fleet at Port Arthur to break out and form up with counterparts from...
, and planning for arrival of the Russian Baltic Fleet and the subsequent Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
. The objective of Japanese navy in Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
was to destroy Russian fleets completely not to allow Russia for having influence on sea of Japan at any cost. He came up with a famous tactic, which is to change the advancing direction in front of enemy referring to an ancient book on Japanese pirates' tactics. During the preliminary negotiations for the Treaty of Portsmouth
Treaty of Portsmouth
The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War. It was signed on September 5, 1905 after negotiations at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine in the USA.-Negotiations:...
, the Japanese government had designated Akiyama as the senior naval representative, but his mother's death led to his replacement.
Postwar activities
After the end of the war, in 1908, Akiyama received an assignment as executive officerExecutive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
on Mikasa, and subsequently his first command, as captain of Akitsushima. He was subsequently captain of the , , , and battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
.
Akiyama was promoted to rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
on 1 December 1913. Soon afterwards, the Siemens-Vickers Naval Armaments Scandal
Siemens scandal
of January 1914 was one of several spectacular political scandals of late Meiji and Taishō period Japanese politics, leading to the fall of the cabinet of Yamamoto Gonnohyoe...
of 1914 shook up the government, forcing the resignations of Yamamoto Gonnohyōe
Yamamoto Gonnohyoe
, also called Gonnohyōe, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the 16th and 22nd Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...
and Ōkuma Shigenobu
Okuma Shigenobu
Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...
. Akiyama remained one of the few senior officers completely untouched by suspicion or corruption, and was nominated by Yashiro Rokuro
Yashiro Rokuro
- Notes :...
as Director-General of the Navy in an effort to restore public confidence. Akiyama served on the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...
until his retirement on 1 December 1917. His major accomplishment during this period was to have the Otowa stationed permanently at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, from which it helped support a large network of intelligence agents posing as exchange students in all corners of China. At the same time, Akiyama maintained a regular and secret correspondence with Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, assisting him also materially in his efforts to prevent Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
from establishing a new empire.
With the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Akiyama traveled to Europe via the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and from there to England, where he met with his old acquaintance, former British naval observer Commander William Christopher Pakenham
William Christopher Pakenham
Admiral Sir William Christopher Pakenham, KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a British observer with the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Russo-Japanese War, during World War I he commanded the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron during the Battle of Jutland, and from December 1916 was Commander-in-Chief of the Battle...
. He returned to Japan via the United States to assume command of the IJN 2nd Fleet
IJN 2nd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the...
in October 1917, but by this time he was already very ill, and was forced to resign in late 1917.
On retirement, Akiyama was promoted to vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
. In his final years, he became obsessed with religion, especially with the Oomoto
Oomoto
Oomoto also known as Oomoto-kyo , is a sect, often categorised as a new Japanese religion originated from Shinto; it was founded in 1892 by Deguchi Nao...
movement and Nichiren sect Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and the Heart Sutra
Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of...
. Akiyama died of peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
in 1918 at the young age of 49, His grave is at Aoyama Cemetery
Aoyama Cemetery
is a cemetery in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and at the season of hanami, many people visit.-History:...
in Tokyo.
Posthumous career
Akiyama and his brother, Akiyama YoshifuruAkiyama Yoshifuru
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and was considered the father of the modern Japanese cavalry. Akiyama Yoshifuru was Vice Admiral Akiyama Saneyuki's older brother.-Early life:...
, along with their friend Masaoka Shiki
Masaoka Shiki
, pen-name of Masaoka Noboru , was a Japanese poet, author, and literary critic in Meiji period Japan. Shiki is regarded as a major figure in the development of modern haiku poetry...
, are the main characters in Shiba Ryotaro's popular multi-volume novel, Saka no ue no kumo
Saka no ue no kumo
, "Cloud over the slope," is a popular Japanese historical novel by Shiba Ryōtarō originally published serially from 1968 to 1972 in eight volumes...
. The novel is also the basis for a three-year NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
television series, also called Saka no ue no kumo
Saka no ue no kumo (TV series)
is a current NHK 21 Century special drama which is scheduled to be aired for three years starting from November 29, 2009. 13 episodes, 90 minutes each, have been planned. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, are being broadcast...
.
The Akiyama birthplace in Matsuyama is now a tourist attraction.