Gensui (Imperial Japanese Army)

, formal rank designations: 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.

Portrait	Name	Japanese name	Lifespan	Promotion date	From
File:Saigo Takamori Portrait by Tokonami Masayoshi 1887.png	Saigō Takamori		1828–1877	July 20, 1872 – May 8, 1873	Kagoshima
File:Prince Komatsu Akihito.jpg	Prince Komatsu Akihito		1846–1903	January 20, 1898	Imperial Family
File:Yamagata Aritomo.jpg	Prince Yamagata Aritomo		1838–1922	January 20, 1898	Yamaguchi
File:Iwao Oyama 2 (cropped).jpg	Prince Ōyama Iwao		1842–1916	January 20, 1898	Kagoshima
File:Nozu Michitsura.jpg	Marquis Nozu Michitsura		1841–1908	January 31, 1906	Kagoshima
File:Oku Yasukata.jpg	Count Oku Yasukata		1847–1930	October 24, 1911	Fukuoka
File:Hasegawa Yoshimichi.jpg	Count Hasegawa Yoshimichi		1850–1924	January 9, 1913	Yamaguchi
File:HIH Fushimi Sadanaru.jpg	Prince Fushimi Sadanaru		1858–1923	January 9, 1913	Imperial Family
File:Kawamura Kageaki.jpg	Baron Kawamura Kageaki		1850–1926	January 9, 1913	Kagoshima
File:Masatake Terauchi 2.jpg	Count Terauchi Masatake		1852–1919	June 24, 1916	Yamaguchi
File:Prince Kanin Kotohito.jpg	Prince Kan'in Kotohito		1865–1945	December 12, 1919	Imperial Family
File:Uehara Yusaku.jpg	Baron Uehara Yūsaku		1856–1933	April 27, 1921	Miyazaki
File:Prince Kuninomiya Kuniyoshi.jpg	Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni		1873–1929	January 27, 1929 (posthumous)	Imperial Family
File:Prince Nashimoto Morimasa.jpg	Prince Nashimoto Morimasa		1874–1951	August 8, 1932	Imperial Family
File:Nobuyoshi Muto.jpg	Baron Nobuyoshi Mutō		1868–1933	May 3, 1933	Saga
File:Hisaichi Terauchi.jpg	Count Hisaichi Terauchi		1879–1946	June 21, 1943	Tokyo
File:Hajime Sugiyama 02.jpg	Hajime Sugiyama		1880–1945	June 21, 1943	Fukuoka
File:Shunroku Hata.jpg	Shunroku Hata		1879–1962	June 2, 1944	Fukushima

The title was also bestowed on King George V of the United Kingdom on October 29, 1918.

See also

• Gensui (Imperial Japanese Navy)
• Imperial Japanese Army
• 元帥：Pronounced as yuanshuai in Chinese, wonsu in Korean.
• 大元帥：A title higher than gensui, pronounced as dai-gensui in Japanese, da yuanshuai in Chinese, taewonsu in Korean.
• List of field marshals