Sakuma Samata

Count
Sakuma Samata
Count Sakuma Samata
佐久間左馬太
5th Governor-General of Taiwan
	In office; 11 April 1906 – 1 May 1915
Monarchs	Meiji; Taishō;
Preceded by	Kodama Gentarō
Succeeded by	Andō Teibi
Personal details
Born	19 November 1844; General
Battles/wars	Boshin War; Satsuma Rebellion; First Sino-Japanese War; Truku War

General Count Sakuma Samata (佐久間左馬太, 19 November 1844 – 5 August 1915) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and 5th Governor-General of Taiwan

from 11 April 1906 to May 1915. He participated in domestic conflicts, wars with Russia and was a leader of the expedition of Taiwan.

Biography

Sakuma was born in

Meiji restoration with distinction at the Battle of Aizu. In 1872, he entered the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army

as a captain.

In February 1874, Sakuma participated in the suppression of the

Taiwan Expedition of 1874, where on May 22 he commanded the 150 strong force of soldiers that was ambushed by aborigines, initiating the Battle of Stone Gate. During the Satsuma Rebellion, he was commander of the IJA 6th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to colonel in 1878. In February 1881, Sakuma was promoted to major general in command of the Sendai

military district.

In May 1885, Sakuma was given command of the IJA 10th Infantry Brigade and promoted to lieutenant general the following year. The same year, 1886, he was elevated to the title of danshaku (baron) under the kazoku peerage system.

With the outbreak of the

Shandong Province, China. At the end of the war, he was awarded the Grand Cordon of Order of the Rising Sun, and elevated to shishaku (viscount).^[1]

In 1898, Sakuma was appointed commander of the central division of the

general. After a brief period on leave, he then became commander of the Tokyo Garrison. In April 1906, after his appointment as 5th Governor-General of Taiwan, Sakuma was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class with Paulownia Blossoms, Grand Cordon), and in 1907 was elevated to hakushaku (Count).^[2]

With the end of armed resistance by

Taroko Gorge

area.

He is also credited with introducing baseball to Taiwan in 1910.

After his death, he became a kami under State Shinto, and a shrine was erected in his honor in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and in Taihoku (present-day Taipei). The shrine in Japan still exists, and unsuccessful efforts have been made to reconstruct the one in Taiwan as well.