Aritomo Yamagata

Aritomo Yamagata (1838 - 1922) was born of samurai stock in the Chosu Clan, but was the key figure, in the Meiji restoration, of ousting the samurai from political power. He was the principal architect of the Imperial Japanese Army.

In 1864, he was among the first members of the mixed rifle units (shotai) formed by Shinsaku Takasugi of the Choshu Clan, the first non-samurai combat units. Initially, he saw the shotai, or the kiheiti "shock troops" under which they were organized, as a weapon against militarily superior foreigners. Increasingly, however, he became opposed to the Tokugawa Shogunate, becoming a member of the Choshu shishi ("men of spirit") who wanted to restore Emperor rule and break the shogunate.

After serving as "taifu (senior vice minister) of Army-Navy Ministry, and army taifu, he became war minister in 1873. Promoting conscription, he focused on building the military system. He became chief of the General Staff Office in 1878, Home Minister in 1883, and home minister in the first Ito cabinet in 1885."

He was not a democrat, and indeed suppressed the people's rights movement, focusing on building a centralized system that controlled local government. "In 1889, he formed his first cabinet, and successively held important posts including justice minister, war minister in the second Ito cabinet, chairman of the Privy Council, and commander of the First Army during the First Sino-Japanese War. In 1898, he formed his second cabinet. During the Russo-Japanese War, he commanded operations as chief of the General Staff. As genro (elder statesman), he effectively gathered government officials and military men, into what was called the "Yamagata-batsu (clique)," and exerted major influence on the political establishment."