, formal rank designations: was the highest title in the pre-war Imperial Japanese military.
The title originated from the Chinese title yuanshuai (元帥).
The term gensui, which was used for both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy, was at first a rank held by Saigō Takamori as the Commander of the Armies (陸軍元帥 Rikugun-gensui) in 1872. However, in May 1873 Saigō was "demoted" to general, with gensui thereafter no longer a rank as such, but a largely honorific title awarded for extremely meritorious service to the Emperor - thus similar in concept to the French title of Marshal of France. Equivalent to a five-star rank (OF-10), it is similar to Field Marshal in the British Army and General of the Army in the United States Army.
While gensui would retain their actual ranks of general or admiral, they were entitled to wear an additional enamelled breast badge, depicting paulownia leaves between crossed army colors and a naval ensign under the Imperial Seal of Japan. They were also entitled to wear a special samurai sword (katana) of a modern design on ceremonial occasions.
In the Meiji period, the title was awarded to five generals and three admirals. In the Taishō period it was awarded to six generals and six admirals, and in the Shōwa period it was awarded to six generals and four admirals. The higher title of dai-gensui was comparable to the title of generalissimo and was held only by the Emperor himself.
List of Rikugun-gensui Note that several were promoted the same year they died; these were posthumous promotions.
Portrait Name Japanese name Lifespan Promotion date From Saigō Takamori 1828–1877 July 20, 1872 – May 8, 1873Kagoshima Prince Komatsu Akihito 1846–1903 January 20, 1898Imperial Family Prince Yamagata Aritomo 1838–1922 January 20, 1898Yamaguchi Prince Ōyama Iwao 1842–1916 January 20, 1898Kagoshima Marquis Nozu Michitsura 1841–1908 January 31, 1906Kagoshima Count Oku Yasukata 1847–1930 October 24, 1911Fukuoka Count Hasegawa Yoshimichi 1850–1924 January 9, 1913Yamaguchi Prince Fushimi Sadanaru 1858–1923 January 9, 1913Imperial Family Baron Kawamura Kageaki 1850–1926 January 9, 1913Kagoshima Count Terauchi Masatake 1852–1919 June 24, 1916Yamaguchi Prince Kan'in Kotohito 1865–1945 December 12, 1919Imperial Family Baron Uehara Yūsaku 1856–1933 April 27, 1921Miyazaki Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni 1873–1929 January 27, 1929 (posthumous)Imperial Family Prince Nashimoto Morimasa 1874–1951 August 8, 1932Imperial Family Baron Nobuyoshi Mutō 1868–1933 May 3, 1933Saga Count Hisaichi Terauchi 1879–1946 June 21, 1943Tokyo Hajime Sugiyama 1880–1945 June 21, 1943Fukuoka Shunroku Hata 1879–1962 June 2, 1944Fukushima
The title was also bestowed on King George V of the United Kingdom on October 29, 1918.
See also Gensui (Imperial Japanese Navy) Imperial Japanese Army 元帥：Pronounced as yuanshuai in Chinese, wonsu in Korean. 大元帥：A title higher than gensui, pronounced as dai-gensui in Japanese, da yuanshuai in Chinese, taewonsu in Korean. List of field marshals
References