Gensui (Imperial Japanese Army)

Field marshal position in the Imperial Japanese Army

Rikugun-gensui 陸軍元帥
Gensui Badge
Country	Japanese Empire
Service branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Formation	19 July 1872
Abolished	1945
Next higher rank	Dai-gensui
Next lower rank	General
Equivalent ranks	Gensui (Navy)

Rikugun-gensui (陸軍元帥, Field marshal), formal rank designations: Gensui-rikugun-taishō (元帥陸軍大将, Marshal-general) 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.

Name	Japanese name	Lifespan	Promotion date	From
Saigō Takamori	西郷隆盛	1828–1877	July 20, 1872 – May 8, 1873	Kagoshima
Prince Komatsu Akihito	小松宮彰仁親王	1846–1903	January 20, 1898	Imperial Family
Prince Yamagata Aritomo	山県有朋	1838–1922	January 20, 1898	Yamaguchi
Prince Ōyama Iwao	大山厳	1842–1916	January 20, 1898	Kagoshima
Marquis Nozu Michitsura	野津道貫	1841–1908	January 31, 1906	Kagoshima
Count Oku Yasukata	奥保鞏	1847–1930	October 24, 1911	Fukuoka
Count Hasegawa Yoshimichi	長谷川好道	1850–1924	January 9, 1913	Yamaguchi
Prince Fushimi Sadanaru	伏見宮貞愛親王	1858–1923	January 9, 1913	Imperial Family
Baron Kawamura Kageaki	川村景明	1850–1926	January 9, 1913	Kagoshima
Count Terauchi Masatake	寺内正毅	1852–1919	June 24, 1916	Yamaguchi
Prince Kan'in Kotohito	閑院宮載仁親王	1865–1945	December 12, 1919	Imperial Family
Baron Uehara Yūsaku	上原勇作	1856–1933	April 27, 1921	Miyazaki
Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni	久邇宮邦彦王	1873–1929	January 27, 1929 (posthumous)	Imperial Family
Prince Nashimoto Morimasa	梨本宮守正王	1874–1951	August 8, 1932	Imperial Family
Baron Nobuyoshi Mutō	武藤信義	1868–1933	May 3, 1933	Saga
Count Hisaichi Terauchi	寺内寿一	1879–1946	June 21, 1943	Tokyo
Hajime Sugiyama	杉山元	1880–1945	June 21, 1943	Fukuoka
Shunroku Hata	畑俊六	1879–1962	June 2, 1944	Fukushima