Oku Yasukata
| Oku Yasukata | |
|---|---|
Japanese General Count Oku Yasukata
|
|
| Native name | 奥 保鞏 |
| Born |
5 January 1847 Kokura, Buzen Province, Japan |
| Died | 19 July 1930 (aged 83) Tokyo, Japan |
| Allegiance |
 Empire of Japan
|
| Service/branch |
 Imperial Japanese Army
|
| Years of service | 1871–1911 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Commands held | IJA 5th Division, IJA 1st Army, Imperial Guard of Japan, IJA 2nd Army |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Order of the Golden Kite (1st class) |
Count Oku Yasukata (奥 保鞏?, 5 January 1847 – 19 July 1930) was a Japanese field marshal and leading figure in the early Imperial Japanese Army.
Born in Kokura (now in present-day Kitakyūshū) to a samurai family of the Kokura domain in Buzen Province, Oku joined the military forces of the nearby Chōshū Domain during the Boshin War in their struggle to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate and bring about the Meiji Restoration.
Appointed a commander of the new Imperial Japanese Army, Oku fought against the disgruntled samurai insurgents during the Saga Rebellion of 1871. He was later a survivor of the Taiwan Expedition of 1874. During the Satsuma Rebellion, he defended Kumamoto Castle during its siege as commander of the 13th Infantry Regiment.
During the First Sino-Japanese War Oku succeeded General Nozu Michitsura commander of the IJA Fifth Division of the IJA First Army. Later, he successively held posts as commander of the Imperial Guards and Governor-general for the defense of Tokyo. He was elevated to the title of danshaku (baron) under the kazoku peerage system in 1895, and was promoted to army general in 1903.
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