Sakuma Samata (佐久間左馬太)
Samata SAKUMA (November 19, 1844 - August 5, 1915) was a military man of the Imperial Japanese Army and a peer. Having held prominent positions such as Taiwan sotoku (governor-general of Taiwan), Tokyo Eiju sotoku (governor-general of Tokyo garrison) and Konoe shidancho (division commander of the Imperial Guards), Samata was raised to Army General, Shonii (Senior Second Rank), Grand Cordon of the Order, and Count.
Career
Samata, whose father was Takenojo SAKUMA, a feudal retainer of Choshu Domain, learned Western military science under Masujiro OMURA and participated in the Second Conquest of Choshu in 1866, as a daitaicho (Chief) of the Choshu army. After fighting in the Boshin War, Samata joined the army and was appointed Army Captain stationed at Saikai Chindai (garrison) in 1872.
In February, 1874, after the subdual of Saga War (Saga Rebellion), Samata assumed the position of Kumamoto Chindai (garrison) Sanbocho (Assistant Chief of Staff) and participated in the Taiwan expedition. In the Seinan War (Satsuma Rebellion) in 1877, Samata acted as Chief of the Sixth Infantry Regiment. In February, 1881, he was raised to Army Major General and Commander at Sendai Chindai, to the Tenth Infantry Brigade Commander in May 1885, and to Army Lieutenant General in 1886, and was bestowed with the Baronage the next year.
He participated in the Sino-Japanese War in 1894, as Division Commander of the Second Infantry Division and was engaged in capturing Weihai Garrison. In May 1895, after the war, he assumed the position of General-governor of the occupied territory, received Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in the same year and was raised to Viscount. Having served as Konoe shidancho and Chubu totoku (Governor-general of the Chubu region), he was appointed Army General in 1898. Despite taking a temporary leave of absence from work, he served as the Tokyo Eiju sotoku in 1904, and the Taiwan sotoku and received Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flower in April 1906, and was raised to Count in 1907. He retired in May 1915, and passed away on August 5 in the same year. Shunichi SAKUMA succeeded him.