Ōyama Iwao
| Ōyama Iwao | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
12 November 1842 Kajiya-Chō, Kagoshima-Jōka, Satsuma-han, Japan |
| Died | 10 December 1916 (aged 74) Tokyo, Japan |
| Allegiance |
 Empire of Japan
|
| Service/branch |
 Imperial Japanese Army
|
| Years of service | 1871–1914 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
|
| Other work | Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal |
Prince Ōyama Iwao, OM (大山 巌?, 12 November 1842 – 10 December 1916) was a Japanese field marshal, and one of the founders of the Imperial Japanese Army.
The community of Oyama, British Columbia, in Canada is named after Prince Ōyama Iwao.
Ōyama was born in Kagoshima to a samurai family of the Satsuma Domain. A protégé of Ōkubo Toshimichi, he worked to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate and thus played a major role in the Meiji Restoration. He served as the commander of the Detached First Brigade during the Boshin War. At the Battle of Aizu, Ōyama was a commander at the Satchō Alliance's field artillery positions on Mount Oda. During the course of the siege, he was wounded by an Aizu guerilla force under Sagawa Kanbei.
In 1870, Ōyama was sent overseas to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in France to study and he was official Japanese military observer to the Franco-Prussian War. He also spent three years (1870–1873) in Geneva studying foreign languages, and became fluent in Russian. Ōyama Iwao is the first recorded Japanese customer for Louis Vuitton, having purchased some luggage during his stay in France. After promotion to major general, he went to France again for further study, together with Kawakami Sōroku. On his return home, he helped establish the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army, which was soon employed in suppressing the Satsuma Rebellion, although Ōyama and his elder brother were cousins of Saigō Takamori.
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