Hayao Shimamura

Baron Shimamura Hayao
Portrait of Admiral Shimamura Hayao from National Diet Library, Tokyo
Born	September 21, 1858 Kochi, Tosa Province, Japan
Died	January 8, 1923 Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Navy
Years of service	1874 -1920
Rank	Marshal-Admiral
Commands held	Suma, Hatsuse,1st Fleet, 2nd Fleet, Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, Naval War College (Japan), Sasebo Naval District
Battles/wars	First Sino-Japanese War Battle of the Yalu Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War Battle of Tsushima World War I

Marshal-Admiral Baron Shimamura Hayao GCMG 島村 速雄September 21, 1858 – January 8, 1923 was a Japanese admiral during the First Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars as well as one of the first prominent staff officers and naval strategists of the early Imperial Japanese Navy.

Born in Kōchi city Tosa Province (present day Kōchi Prefecture), Shimamura entered the 7th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy following the Boshin War. Graduating at the top of his class of 30 cadets in 1880, he served as midshipman on the corvette Tsukuba, as ensign on the ironclad warship Fusō, and as a sub-lieutenant and lieutenant on the corvette Asama.

Selected for staff work, Shimamura served as a junior officer for several years during the mid-1880s. Studying abroad in Great Britain, he served as a foreign naval observer with the Royal Navy from 1888 to 1891. After his return to Japan, he was assigned as chief gunnery officer on the Takao. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1894.