Background
Shinroku Ishimoto was born in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
Shinroku Ishimoto was born in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
Shinroku Ishimoto showed remarkable intelligence as a child and was awarded a scholarship by his clan to study French military science at Daigaku Nanko (predecessor of Tokyo University) (1869). After graduation continued his studies in France (1877).
Returning home after five years Shinroku Ishimoto enrolled in the Imperial Army and rose to become vice-minister of the Army, assistant to Masatake Terauchi, Minister of Army, during the Russian-Japanese War, then promoted major-general and created Baron (1907), to eventually become Minister of Army (1911).