Yamagata, Aritomo (1838–1922)

Japanese soldier, politician, and prime minister 1889–91 and 1898–1900. As war minister in 1873 and chief of the imperial general staff in 1878, he was largely responsible for the modernization of the military system. He returned as chief of staff during the Russo-Japanese War 1904–05 and remained an influential political figure as one of the elder statesmen known as Genro.