Background
Ogawa Mataji was born in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture,1848. He was a son of a retainer of the Kokura Clan.
Ogawa Mataji was born in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture,1848. He was a son of a retainer of the Kokura Clan.
Ogawa Mataji studied rangaku under Egawa Hidetatsu and fought as a Kokura samurai against the forces of Choshu Domain during the Bakumatsu period.
After the Meiji Restoration, Ogawa attended the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in January 1871 and promoted to lieutenant in February 1874.
Ogawa Mataji participated in the Taiwan Expedition of April 1874. Afterwards, he served with the IJA 1st Infantry Regiment under the Tokyo Garrison, and as a battalion commander with the IJA 13th Infantry Regiment from April 1876. From February 1877, he fought in the Satsuma Rebellion, but was wounded in combat in April and promoted to major the same month.
In March 1878, Ogawa was Deputy Chief-of-Staff to the Kumamoto Garrison. He was sent as a military attaché to Beijing from April - July 1880. In February 1881, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and chief of staff of the Osaka Garrison. In March 1882, he was chief of staff of the Hiroshima Garrison. Promoted to colonel in October 1884, he was assigned the IJA 8th Infantry Regiment. In May 1885, Ogawa Mataji joined the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office.
During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Ogawa continued to command the IJA 4th Division under the Japanese Second Army of General Oku Yasukata. At the Battle of Liaoyang, Ogawa was injured in combat, and forced to relinquish his command and return to Tokyo.
In January 1905, he was promoted to general, but took a medical leave from December 1905. In September 1907 he was elevated to viscount (shishaku), and awarded the Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class. He officially retired in November.
Ogawa died on 20 October 1909 due to peritonitis after being hospitalized for dysentery.
Ogawa Mataji was also the father-in-law of Field Marshal Gen Sugiyama.