Arima Ryokitsu
Encyclopedia
Admiral
was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
during Meiji
and Taishō
periods.
, where his father was a senior samurai
retainer of the Kishū Tokugawa clan
, and an active supporter of the Tokugawa shogunate
during the Boshin War
of the Meiji Restoration
. Although he came from such an unfavorable background, Arima was able to secure admission to the 12th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
, after graduating from the forerunners of Doshisha University
and Keio University
with degrees in English language
.
Arima was assigned as a sub-lieutenant to the three-masted corvette
in 1885 and graduated 16th out of 19 cadets from the Navy Academy in 1886 after Tsukuba made a long distance navigational voyage from Japan to Newcastle
, Sydney
, Wellington
, Fiji
, Samoa
, Honolulu, Apia and Pago Pago lasting most of 1886. On graduation, Arima was assigned to , followed by the gunboat in 1889. His subsequent military service included both sea and staff assignments.
Arima was assigned to in 1890, and accompanied it to the United Kingdom
the following year. From 1892 to 1894, he served in staff assignments for the Readiness Fleet. He was sent back to sea on the from 1894-1895 during the First Sino-Japanese War
, and was Chief of Staff of the Yokosuka Naval District
from 1895-1896. From 1896, he held the prestigious post of Aide-de-camp
to Emperor Meiji
and was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1897 and to commander in 1899. From March 1900, Arima was assigned as chief navigation officer to the flagship
of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the battleship
, on which he again visited England in 1902. After his return to Japan, he was promoted to the position of executive officer
on the cruiser , but at the end of 1903, he was reassigned to the staff of the IJN 1st Fleet
.
In 1903, Commander Arima developed a military strategy
which considered attrition
as an element of overwhelming force in warfare; and this analysis caught the attention of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
in the period shortly before the outbreak of hostilities in the Russo-Japanese War
.
During the Russo-Japanese War, he received his first command, that of the cruiser . Following his promotion to captain in July 1904, he captained , during the Battle of the Yellow Sea
. During the war, Arima was the senior member of Tōgō's Combined Fleet
staff. Arima personally commanded the failed Second Port Arthus blockade attempt
, during which Commander Takeo Hirose
was killed. Soon afterwards, he was reassigned from his field command to become commandant of the Takeshiki Guard District on Tsushima
, where he remainded for the rest of the war.
After the end of the war, he again received a field command, and from 1906–1907, was captain of the cruiser . He subsequently became Chief of Staff for Fleet Admiral Baron Ijuin Gorō
, commander of the IJN 2nd Fleet
from 1907 – 1908. From 1908 to 1910 he was Commandant of the Naval Gunnery School
at Yokosuka, Kanagawa
.
Arima was promoted to rear admiral
on December 1, 1909. He served as Chief of First Bureau (Operations) on the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
from 1910 to 1912 and at the end of 1913 was promoted to vice admiral
. From 1914 to 1916, he was Commandant of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, continuing to influence its curriculum heavily towards the kantai kessen
theory which he had helped create. He also sat on the Board of Inquiry for the Siemens scandal
, a political scandal involving naval procurement in 1914. After serving briefly as Director of the Naval Education Command, he became commander-in-chief of the IJN 3rd Fleet
from 1917 to 1918. He was promoted to full admiral on November 25, 1919. He then served as Director of Naval Education Command from 1919 to 1920.
of the Meiji Shrine
. On December 26, 1932, Arima was selected as a member of Emperor Shōwa's Privy Council
. In 1934, he was chairman of the committee which organized the state funeral
for Fleet Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō. His name was floated as a potential foreign minister in the 1938 administration of Prime Minister
Fumimaro Konoe
, but he did not serve. However, he maintained close personal ties to Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kojun
, serving as a chamberlain
from 1939, and resigned from his post as chief priest of Meiji Shrine from 1943.
Arima died peacefully from pneumonia
at age 84 in 1944 and was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
. His grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery
in Tokyo.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
was a career naval 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...
during Meiji
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 :...
and Taishō
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
periods.
Biography
Arima was a native of WakayamaWakayama, Wakayama
is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.-Background:Wakayama occupies 4% of the land area and has 40% of Wakayama prefecture's population. The city was founded on April 1, 1889....
, where his father was a senior 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...
retainer of the Kishū Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
, and an active supporter of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
during the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
of the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. Although he came from such an unfavorable background, Arima was able to secure admission to the 12th class of 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...
, after graduating from the forerunners of Doshisha University
Doshisha University
, or is a prestigious private university in Kyoto, Japan. The university has approximately 27,000 students on three campuses, in faculties of theology, letters, law, commerce, economics, policy, and engineering...
and Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
with degrees in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Arima was assigned as a sub-lieutenant to the three-masted corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
in 1885 and graduated 16th out of 19 cadets from the Navy Academy in 1886 after Tsukuba made a long distance navigational voyage from Japan to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, Honolulu, Apia and Pago Pago lasting most of 1886. On graduation, Arima was assigned to , followed by the gunboat in 1889. His subsequent military service included both sea and staff assignments.
Arima was assigned to in 1890, and accompanied it to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the following year. From 1892 to 1894, he served in staff assignments for the Readiness Fleet. He was sent back to sea on the from 1894-1895 during 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 was Chief of Staff of the Yokosuka Naval District
Yokosuka Naval District
was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula.-History:...
from 1895-1896. From 1896, he held the prestigious post of Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp to the Emperor of Japan
In Japan, the is a special military official whose primary duties are to report military affairs to the Emperor and act as a close attendant...
to Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
and was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1897 and to commander in 1899. From March 1900, Arima was assigned as chief navigation officer to the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, on which he again visited England in 1902. After his return to Japan, he was promoted to the position of executive officer
Executive 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 the cruiser , but at the end of 1903, he was reassigned to the staff of the IJN 1st Fleet
IJN 1st Fleet
The was the main battleship fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 1st Fleet was created during the Russo-Japanese War when the Imperial General Headquarters divided the Readiness Fleet into a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to...
.
In 1903, Commander Arima developed a military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
which considered attrition
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
as an element of overwhelming force in warfare; and this analysis caught the attention of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
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:...
in the period shortly before the outbreak of hostilities 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...
.
During the Russo-Japanese War, he received his first command, that of the cruiser . Following his promotion to captain in July 1904, he captained , during the 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...
. During the war, Arima was the senior member of Tōgō's 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....
staff. Arima personally commanded the failed Second Port Arthus blockade attempt
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
, during which Commander Takeo Hirose
Takeo Hirose
, was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy. His selfless sacrifice during the Russo-Japanese War elevated him to the status of a deified national hero....
was killed. Soon afterwards, he was reassigned from his field command to become commandant of the Takeshiki Guard District on Tsushima
Tsushima
-Places:* Tsushima, Nagasaki, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture * Tsushima Basin, also known as Ulleung Basin, located at the juncture of the Sea of Japan and the Korea Strait* Tsushima Island, part of Nagasaki Prefecture...
, where he remainded for the rest of the war.
After the end of the war, he again received a field command, and from 1906–1907, was captain of the cruiser . He subsequently became Chief of Staff for Fleet Admiral Baron Ijuin Gorō
Ijuin Goro
-External links:...
, commander 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...
from 1907 – 1908. From 1908 to 1910 he was Commandant of the Naval Gunnery School
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
at Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
.
Arima 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 December 1, 1909. He served as Chief of First Bureau (Operations) 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:...
from 1910 to 1912 and at the end of 1913 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...
. From 1914 to 1916, he was Commandant of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, continuing to influence its curriculum heavily towards the kantai kessen
Kantai kessen
The was a naval strategy adopted by the Imperial Japanese Navy following the Russo-Japanese War. It called on the use of a strong battleship force, which would destroy an invading fleet as it approached Japan after suffering losses through attrition as it penetrated Japanese perimeter defenses.The...
theory which he had helped create. He also sat on the Board of Inquiry for the Siemens 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...
, a political scandal involving naval procurement in 1914. After serving briefly as Director of the Naval Education Command, he became commander-in-chief of the IJN 3rd Fleet
IJN 3rd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was created on six separate occasions.-Russo-Japanese War:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for...
from 1917 to 1918. He was promoted to full admiral on November 25, 1919. He then served as Director of Naval Education Command from 1919 to 1920.
Subsequent career
Arima entered the reserve list from April 1, 1922. From September 14, 1931 was named chief priestKannushi
A , also called , is the person responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine as well as for leading worship of a given kami. The characters for kannushi are sometimes also read jinshu with the same meaning....
of the Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine
', located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.-History:...
. On December 26, 1932, Arima was selected as a member of Emperor Shōwa's Privy Council
Privy Council (Japan)
was an advisory council to the Emperor of Japan that operated from 1888 to 1947.-Functions:Modeled in part upon the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, this body advised the throne on matters of grave importance including:...
. In 1934, he was chairman of the committee which organized the state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
for Fleet Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō. His name was floated as a potential foreign minister in the 1938 administration of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Fumimaro Konoe
Fumimaro Konoe
Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...
, but he did not serve. However, he maintained close personal ties to Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kojun
Empress Kojun
' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"...
, serving as a chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
from 1939, and resigned from his post as chief priest of Meiji Shrine from 1943.
Arima died peacefully from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at age 84 in 1944 and was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
. His grave is at the 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.