Kawakami Soroku

Viscount Kawakami Sōroku
Official photo of Viscount Kawakami Sōroku
Native name	川上 操六
Born	(1848-11-11)November 11, 1848 Kagoshima, Satsuma domain, Japan
Died	May 11, 1899(1899-05-11) (aged 50) Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1871 -1899
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Boshin War First Sino-Japanese War
Awards	Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) Order of the Golden Kite (2nd class) Order of the Rising Sun (1st class with Paulownia Blossoms, Grand Cordon) Grand Order of the Chrysanthemum

Viscount Kawakami Sōroku (川上 操六^?, 11 November 1848 – 11 May 1899), was a general and one of the chief military strategists in the Imperial Japanese Army during the First Sino-Japanese War.

Born in Satsuma Domain to a samurai-class family, Kawakami fought on the Imperial side for the Meiji Restoration against the forces for the Tokugawa Shogunate starting with the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. He distinguished himself by his defense of the besieged Kumamoto Castle in the Boshin War.

Afterwards, he came to Tokyo to assist with the founding of the new Imperial Japanese Army. He rose rapidly through the ranks, and helped quell the Satsuma Rebellion.

In 1884, he accompanied Ōyama Iwao to study military science in various countries of Europe, especially Prussia. After returning home, he became a major general and vice-chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. In 1887, he returned to Europe again to study military science further in Germany. In 1890, he became a lieutenant general.