Tōgō Heihachirō

Lore & Background

Tōgō was born as Tōgō Nakagorō in the Kajiya-chō district of Kagoshima, the third of four sons of a samurai serving the Shimazu daimyō. At age 13 he changed his name to Heihachirō in a samurai genpuku ceremony. His first war experience was at age 15 during the Bombardment of Kagoshima in August 1863, where he served on a gun crew. He enlisted in the Satsuma navy in 1866 and served on the paddle-wheel steam warship Kasuga during the Boshin War, participating in the Battle of Awa, the Battle of Miyako Bay, and the Battle of Hakodate.

In 1871 Tōgō was selected to travel to Britain for naval studies, living there for seven years. He trained on HMS Worcester, graduated second in his class, circumnavigated the world on the British training ship Hampshire in 1875, and studied mathematics and English in Cambridge under the Rev. Arthur Douglas Capel. He suffered a severe eye illness that threatened his sight but was saved by Harley Street ophthalmologists. He returned to Japan in 1878 as a lieutenant. During the Sino-French War (1884–1885), he observed the French fleet under Admiral Courbet and ground combat in Formosa under Joseph Joffre.

Reader's Guide

Tōgō Heihachirō's significance rests on his command of the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, culminating in the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905, a decisive victory that established Japan as a major naval power. Western journalists called him 'the Nelson of the East.' His early training in Britain and his experience in the Satsuma navy and the Boshin War shaped his naval career. He remains deeply revered as a national hero in Japan, with shrines and streets named in his honour. His legacy is that of a commander who successfully confined the Russian Pacific fleet to Port Arthur and then annihilated the relieving fleet at Tsushima, a feat that had no parallel since the age of sail.

Did You Know?

• Tōgō was born as Tōgō Nakagorō and changed his name to Heihachirō at age 13 in a samurai ceremony.
• He served on a gun crew during the Bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863 at age 15.
• During his studies in Britain, his comrades called him 'Johnny Chinaman', which he disliked and threatened to stop by blows.
• He was absent from Japan during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, in which his three brothers fought and two were killed.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Defeat is a common fate of a soldier and there is nothing to be ashamed of in it." — Tōgō Heihachirō "The gods award the crown to those who, by their training in peacetime, are victorious even before they go into battle." — Tōgō Heihachirō