Background
Shibayama Yahachi was born on July 13, 1850 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
柴山 矢八
Shibayama Yahachi was born on July 13, 1850 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
After the Meiji Restoration, and the establishment of the new Meiji government in Tokyo he enrolled in the government's development and colonization program, and was sent to the United States for two years from 1872. On Shibayama's return to Japan, he entered the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy as a naval artillery specialist.
He fought in the Satsuma Rebellion in an artillery battalion, and served briefly as a crewman on the Asama and Tsukuba. He was in charge of torpedo development from 1879-1883, and is called the "father of the Japanese torpedo". Promoted to captain in 1885, Shibayama went to the United States and Europe in 1886 together with Saigō Tsugumichi, and on his return was promoted to acting director of the Armaments Department within the Ministry of the Navy of Japan, much to the outrage and opposition of Admiral Yamamoto Gonnohyōe.
Perhaps for this reason, he was given command of the corvette Tsukuba on 15 May 1889 and sent to sea for two years. Afterwards, he was assigned command of Kaimon, the cruiser Takachiho, Yokosuka Naval District, and the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy before being appointed commander-in-chief of the Sasebo Naval District. Shibayama was promoted to rear admiral on 30 July 1894 in time for the First Sino-Japanese War.
He became vice admiral and commander-in-chief of the Readiness Fleet on 10 August 1897. He was commander-in-chief of the Kure Naval District from 20 May 1900, through the end of the Russo-Japanese War. After the war, on 7 January 1905, he became commander-in-chief of the new Ryojun Naval District.
Shibayama went into the reserves in 1915 and retired completely in 1920. His grave is at the Tama Cemetery in Tokyo.