Inoue Hikaru (井上光)
Hikaru INOUE (November 30, 1851-December 17, 1908) was a military man in the Imperial Japanese Army and a peer. He held various positions such as the Twelfth Division Commander (Japanese Army) and the Fourth Division Commander (Japanese Army). He was a baron awarded Army General Medal-for-merit Golden Pheasant Decoration.
Career
He was born second son to Hyosuke MORIWAKI, a feudal retainer of the Iwakuni Domain, and in later years adopted by Mitsusada INOUE of the same Domain.
The childhood name was 復吉 Fukuyoshi
He participated in the Seigi Tai (corps) in the clan, and fought in the Boshin War.
After Meiji Restoration, having learned at Osaka Seinen Gakusha, he assumed a position of Army Lieutenant in May, 1871. In June he was assigned to Goshinpei (Imperial Guards Corpse) and became a member of the Seventh Copse. In September, the next year he served in Konoe-kyoku (Imperial Guards Service) and having acted as Konoe (Japanese Army) Jyunkan Sanbo (general staff) in July, 1874, and a member of the Army War College Student Corps in September, 1875, and was promoted to Hiroshima Chindai Army Hohei Daijyuni Rentai Daisan Daitai in April, 1876, and to Major in July.
In the Seinan War in 1877 he participated in the war under the Betsudo (Independent) First Shidan. After the war, having served as Kumamoto Chindai Army Bakuryo-Sanbo-Fukucho (subchief of general staff), he was promoted to Army Lieutenant Colonel in May, 1885 and took the position of the Hohei First Rentaicho (chief of the First Foot Soldiers regiment). In November, 1888 he was promoted to a colonel and in September, 1889 became the Third Shidan (Japanese Army) Sanbocho (the Chief of Staff). For half a year from February, 1894 he was sent to Europe, and in October after returning he participated in the Sino-Japanese War as the Second Army (Japanese Army) Sanbocho. He was promoted to Major General, to Hohei Sixth Brigade Commander in May, 1895, to Kangunbu Staff Chief in August of the same year, to Hohei Third Brigade Commander in 1898, to Lieutenant General in March, 1899 and finally to Twelfth Brigade Commander. In November, 1903 he was awarded Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
In February, 1904 he took part in the Russo-Japanese War and transferred to the Fourth Shidan on July 6, 1906 after the war. Owing to the meritorious services in the Sino-Japanese/Russo-Japanese Wars, he was awarded Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun and Konikyu Kinkei Kunsho. In September, 1907 he was bestowed baronage. In August, 1908 he was raised to Army General, but died in December of the same year. He was awarded posthumous Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers.