Takeji Nara
Encyclopedia
Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army
.
, Tochigi Prefecture
to a farming family. He attended military preparatory schools as a youth, and graduated from the 11th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1889 as a second lieutenant in the artillery. In 1893, he attended the Army Artillery School, and the participated in the First Sino-Japanese War
from 1894-1895.
After the war, he returned to the Army Staff College
, graduating from the 13th class in December 1899. He subsequently served in a number of staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, and was send to Germany
as a military attaché
.
During the Russo-Japanese War
, Nara was commander of an Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade which operated the siege artillery units attached to the IJA 3rd Army. After the war and another visit to Germany, he rose to be Vice Minister of War
. Promoted to major general
in 1914, he served as commander of the Japanese China Garrison Army
, and later as chief of staff of Japanese forces in Tsingtao.
Nara was promoted to lieutenant general
in 1918, and attended the Versailles Peace Treaty Conference as part of the Japanese delegation. He also chaired the commission investigating the Nikolayevsk Incident
.
Nara subsequently served as Chief aide-de-camp
to Crown Prince Hirohito, and then as Chief Aide-de-camp to the Emperor of Japan
after Hirohito's coronation, until 1933. At the request of the genrō
Yamagata Aritomo
, Nara supervised the Crown prince’s education in military affairs through both lectures and active experience. Under his direction, Hirohito mastered horsemanship, and practiced firing live weapons, even to the extent of having a firing range built within the Akasaka Palace. In 1921, he was part of the entourage which accompanied Hirohito on his official visit to Europe.
He was promoted to full general in 1924 and became a member of the Privy Council
. In 1933, he was elevated to the title of baron
(danshaku) under the kazoku
peerage system, retiring from his military career soon afterwards.
In the post war period, he served as Chairman of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
. Nara died in 1962 and his diaries from the period that he was aide-de-camp to Emperor Hirohito shed additional light on the thoughts and role of the Emperor during World War II
.
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...
.
Biography
Nara was born in what is now part of Kanuma cityKanuma, Tochigi
is a city located in Tochigi, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 102,825 and the density of 210 persons per km². The total area is 490.62 km²...
, Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
to a farming family. He attended military preparatory schools as a youth, and graduated from the 11th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1889 as a second lieutenant in the artillery. In 1893, he attended the Army Artillery School, and the participated 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...
from 1894-1895.
After the war, he returned to the Army Staff College
Army War College (Japan)
The ; Short form: of the Empire of Japan was founded in 1882 in Minato, Tokyo to modernize and Westernize the Imperial Japanese Army. Much of the empire's elite including prime ministers during the period of Japanese militarism were graduates of the college....
, graduating from the 13th class in December 1899. He subsequently served in a number of staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, and was send to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as a military attaché
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...
.
During 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...
, Nara was commander of an Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade which operated the siege artillery units attached to the IJA 3rd Army. After the war and another visit to Germany, he rose to be Vice Minister of War
Ministry of War of Japan
The , more popularly known as the Ministry of War of Japan, was cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Army...
. Promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1914, he served as commander of the Japanese China Garrison Army
Japanese China Garrison Army
The was formed 1 June 1901 as the , as part of Japan's contribution to the international coalition in China during the Boxer Rebellion. It was renamed the China Garrison Army on 14 April 1912.-History:...
, and later as chief of staff of Japanese forces in Tsingtao.
Nara was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1918, and attended the Versailles Peace Treaty Conference as part of the Japanese delegation. He also chaired the commission investigating the Nikolayevsk Incident
Nikolayevsk Incident
The was a series of events from February through March 1920 during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, cumulating in the massacre of several hundred Japanese expatriates and most of the Russian inhabitants of the town of Nikolayevsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East.Nikolayevsk-on-Amur...
.
Nara subsequently served as Chief aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Crown Prince Hirohito, and then as Chief Aide-de-camp to the Emperor of Japan
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...
after Hirohito's coronation, until 1933. At the request of the genrō
Genro
was an unofficial designation given to certain retired elder Japanese statesmen, considered the "founding fathers" of modern Japan, who served as informal extraconstitutional advisors to the emperor, during the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods in Japanese history.The institution of genrō...
Yamagata Aritomo
Yamagata Aritomo
Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...
, Nara supervised the Crown prince’s education in military affairs through both lectures and active experience. Under his direction, Hirohito mastered horsemanship, and practiced firing live weapons, even to the extent of having a firing range built within the Akasaka Palace. In 1921, he was part of the entourage which accompanied Hirohito on his official visit to Europe.
He was promoted to full general in 1924 and became a member of the 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 1933, he was elevated to the title of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
(danshaku) under the kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system, retiring from his military career soon afterwards.
In the post war period, he served as Chairman of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
is a Japanese martial arts organization established in 1895 in Kyoto, Japan, under the authority of the Ministry of Education and sanction of the Emperor Meiji. Its purpose, at that time, was to standardize martial disciplines and systems throughout Japan. This was the first official martial arts...
. Nara died in 1962 and his diaries from the period that he was aide-de-camp to Emperor Hirohito shed additional light on the thoughts and role of the Emperor during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.