Tōyama Mitsuru

Tōyama Mitsuru (頭山 満^?, 27 May 1855 – 5 October 1944) was a right-wing political leader in early 20th century Japan and founder of the Genyosha nationalist secret society.

Tōyama was born to a poor samurai family in Fukuoka City in Kyūshū. In his youth, he fought in the Saga Rebellion of 1874.

In 1881, Tōyama became one of the founders of the Genyosha, a secret society and terrorist organization whose agenda was to agitate for Japanese military expansion and conquest of the Asian continent. The society attracted disaffected ex-samurai, and also figures involved in organized crime to assist in its campaigns of violence and assassination against foreigners and liberal politicians. In 1889, Tōyama and the Genyosha were implicated in the attempted assassination of foreign minister Ōkuma Shigenobu.

Immediately prior to the start of the First Sino-Japanese War, Tōyama organized the Tenyukyo, a secret society and paramilitary force that operated in Korea prior to the arrival of the Imperial Japanese Army, making detailed topographic maps, scouting out Chinese and Korean military installations and deployment, and arranging for logistic support. Along with Genyosha operatives in Korea and Manchuria, the Tenyukyo provided interpreters and guides to the regular Japanese army after their invasion.

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