Shimamura Hayao

Baron

Shimamura Hayao
Portrait of Admiral Shimamura Hayao from National Diet Library, Tokyo
Native name
島村速雄
BornSeptember 21, 1858
Kochi, Tosa Province, Japan
DiedJanuary 8, 1923 (1923-01-09) (aged 64)
Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Service / branch Imperial Japanese Navy
Years of service1874–1920
Rank Marshal Admiral (posthumous)
CommandsSuma, Hatsuse,1st Fleet, 2nd Fleet, Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, Naval War College (Japan), Sasebo Naval District
Battles / wars

Marshal-Admiral Baron Shimamura Hayao (島村 速雄, September 21, 1858 – January 8, 1923) was a Japanese admiral during the First Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars as well as one of the first prominent staff officers and naval strategists of the early Imperial Japanese Navy. He was an excellent tactician, but unlike many military men, he did not seek honor. He would defer credit to his colleagues, refrain from boasting, and openly share his failures with others. His character garnered him much respect. He remained a lifelong friend of his classmate from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, Katō Tomosaburō.