Shigetarō Yoshimatsu (吉松茂太郎, Yoshimatsu Shigetarō, February 6, 1859 – January 5, 1935) (sometimes spelled Motaro) was a Japanese admiral during the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. He was known for commanding the Tokiwa during the Battle of Tsushima.
Early naval career
Born as the eldest son of Maya Yoshimatsu, a feudal retainer of the Tosa-Nakamura Clan who later became a judge. He was well-versed in Chinese poetry because his father ran a school for Chinese studies in his home. After going through the domain school Chidokan and Kaisei School [ja], he graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy's 7th Class on 1880 and became a second lieutenant candidate, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1883. In 1885 , he went on a business trip to the United Kingdom as a member of the cruise committee of the armored cruiser Naniwa and returned to Japan the following year as a member of the Naniwa crew. In 1888, he went to study in France, where he boarded a French warship for field research, and went on a business trip to the United Kingdom as a military construction supervisor and returned to Japan in 1893.[1][2]
In 1905, he became Rear Admiral of the Navy and chief of staff of Sasebo Naval District and Kure Naval District as well as Commander of the 1st Fleet and in 1907, he was appointed Commander of the Training Fleet. After that, he successively served as principal of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, principal of the Naval War College, commander of the Takeshiki Guard District, commander of the 2nd Fleet, commander of the Naval Education Headquarters [ja], commander of the Kure Naval District, and commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet. In 1918, he was promoted to Admiral and became military councilor but retired by 1929.
