(sometimes spelled Motaro) was a Japanese admiral during the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

and the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

. He was known for commanding the '' Tokiwa'' during the

Battle of Tsushima The Battle of Tsushima (, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known in Japan as the , was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait. A devastating defeat for the Imperial Russian Navy, the ...

Early naval career

Born as the eldest son of Maya Yoshimatsu, a feudal retainer of the Tosa-Nakamura Clan who later became a judge. He was well-versed in Chinese poetry because his father ran a school for Chinese studies in his home. After going through the domain school Chidokan and , he graduated from the

Imperial Japanese Naval Academy The was a school established to train line officers for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was originally located in Nagasaki, moved to Yokohama in 1866, and was relocated to Tsukiji, Tokyo, in 1869. It moved to Etajima, Hiroshima, in 1888. Students ...

's 7th Class on 1880 and became a second lieutenant candidate, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1883. In 1885 , he went on a business trip to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

as a member of the cruise committee of the armored cruiser '' Naniwa'' and returned to Japan the following year as a member of the ''Naniwa'' crew. In 1888, he went to study in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, where he boarded a French warship for field research, and went on a business trip to the United Kingdom as a military construction supervisor and returned to Japan in 1893.

Service in active wars

In 1893, he served as crew leader of the gunboat '' Oshima'', and in the following year, crew leader of the cruiser '' Yoshino'' and served in the

. After that, he successively served as a Staff Officer in the Standing Fleet, a

Kure Naval District was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern K ...

Staff Officer, a

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

Instructor, the 1st Chief of Naval General Staff, the Chief of Staff of the Standing Fleet and the

Sasebo Naval District was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and t ...

, and Captain of the ''Naniwa''. In 1901, he became the captain of the '' Takasago'', and the following year, he was dispatched to the United Kingdom with '' Asama'' to participate in the

Coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra The coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on 9 August 1902. Originally scheduled for 26 June of that year, the ceremony h ...

as well as reviewing the fleet. In 1904, he became captain of '' Tokiwa'' and participated in the

within the

Battle off Ulsan The naval Battle of Ulsan (Japanese: 蔚山沖海戦 ''Urusan'oki kaisen''; Russian: Бой в Корейском проливе, ''Boi v Koreiskom prolive''), also known as the Battle of the Japanese Sea or Battle of the Korean Strait, took pl ...

and the

Later years

In 1905, he became Rear Admiral of the Navy and chief of staff of Sasebo Naval District and Kure Naval District as well as Commander of the 1st Fleet and in 1907, he was appointed Commander of the Training Fleet. After that, he successively served as principal of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, principal of the Naval War College, commander of the Takeshiki Guard District, commander of the 2nd Fleet, commander of the , commander of the Kure Naval District, and commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet. In 1918, he was promoted to Admiral and became military councilor but retired by 1929.

Court ranks

*December 25, 1883: Senior 8th Rank *December 16, 1891: Senior 7th Rank *April 15, 1895: Junior 6th Rank *March 8, 1898: Senior 6th Rank *November 2, 1899: Junior 5th Rank *December 10, 1909: Junior 4th Rank *December 10, 1911: Senior 4th Rank *January 30, 1915: Junior 3rd Rank *February 12, 1918: Senior 3rd Rank *August 20, 1920: Junior 2nd Rank

Awards

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese honors system, Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge feat ...

, 5th Class with a single ray (September 27, 1895)"Official Gazette" No. 3676 "Appointment and Appointment" September 28, 1895. *

Order of the Golden Kite Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...

, 5th Class (September 27, 1895) *Meiji 278 Service Insignia (November 18, 1895) *Order of the Golden Kite, 3rd Class (April 1, 1906)"Official Gazette" No. 7005, Appendix "Appointment and Appointment" November 2, 1906. *Meiji 378 Service Insignia *

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...

, 1st Class (January 30, 1915)"Official Gazette" No. 1310, appendix "Appointment" December 13, 1916. *Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class (November 7, 1915) *Grand Order Commemorative Badge (November 11, 1915) *Taishō 3 to 9 campaign service medal (November 1, 1920)"Official Gazette" No. 2612 "Appointment and Appointment" April 19, 1921.

Foreign awards

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

, 3rd Class with sword"Official Gazette" No. 5848 "Appointment and Appointment" December 29, 1902 *:

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

, 3rd Class *:

Order of the White Elephant __NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (; ) is an order (decoration), order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Mongkut, Rama IV of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is r ...

, 3rd Class *:

King Edward VII Coronation Medal The King Edward VII Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal issued in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Issue The medal was awarded in silver and bronze. It was issued in silver to members of the royal fa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoshimatsu, Shigetarō 1859 births 1935 deaths People from Kōchi Prefecture People of the Meiji era Imperial Japanese Navy admirals Imperial Japanese Naval Academy alumni Japanese military personnel of the First Sino-Japanese War Japanese military personnel of the Russo-Japanese War Recipients of the Order of the Golden Kite Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 5th class Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class Commanders of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus