Isamu Takeshita

Infobox Military Person
name=Isamu Takeshita
lived=4 December 1869 -1 July 1949
placeofbirth=Kagoshima, Satsuma domain Japan
placeofdeath=Tokyo, Japan


caption= Commander Isamu Takeshita at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1905. Library of Congress Collection
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=navy|Empire of Japan
serviceyears=1889-1929
rank=Admiral
commands=
unit=
battles=First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, World War I
awards= Order of the Rising Sun (1st class)
family=
laterwork=
portrayedby=
enteredservice=
currentlyresides=

nihongo|Isamu Takeshita|竹下勇|Takeshita Isamu (4 December 1869 -1 July 1949) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was also a diplomat whose accomplishments included helping end the Russo-Japanese War favorably for Japan and obtaining former German possessions in the Pacific for Japan following World War I. In addition, he was a patron (and practitioner) of the Japanese martial arts, especially judo, sumo, and aikido.

Early years

Born Yamamoto Isamu into a "samurai" class family in Kagoshima, Satsuma domain (present-day Kagoshima prefecture), he was adopted into the Takeshita family as a boy.Pranin, Stanley. "Takeshita, Isamu," "The Encyclopedia of Aikido". [http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia.php?entryID=669] ]

Naval and diplomatic career

Takeshita entered naval service as a midshipman in 1889; his first ship was the armored corvette IJN "Kongo". He entered the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1892, and he graduated third in a class of eighty students.Nishida, Hiroshi. "People: Naval Academy, class 15." [http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/index.htm] ] ] In 1898, he attended the Japanese Naval War College, which had been founded that same year.

Because he was fluent in English, he was posted at various times as a naval attaché. For example, in October 1902, he was appointed Japan's naval attaché to the United States.Nishida, Hiroshi. "People: Naval Academy, class 15." [http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/index.htm] ] ] In this role, Takeshita was an active participant in negotiations mediated by President Theodore Roosevelt that led to the Treaty of Portsmouth, thereby ending the Russo-Japanese War. During 1904, he also helped Roosevelt obtain the services of judo teacher Yamashita Yoshiaki, first for Roosevelt himself and then for the US Naval Academy. [Svinth, Joseph R. "Professor Yamashita Goes to Washington" [http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth1_1000.htm] .] Takeshita's commands included the cruisers "Suma", "Kasuga", "Izumo", "Tsukuba" and the battleship "Shikishima".Nishida, Hiroshi. "People: Naval Academy, class 15." [http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/index.htm] ] ]

Takeshita was a member of the Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States in 1917, ["The Imperial Japanese Mission 1917," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, [http://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/comment/japanvisit/JapanC10.htm] ; "New York Times," October 3, 1917] , the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, and the League of Nations. In these positions, he played a leading role in Japan's obtaining former German holdings in the Central and Western Pacific. [Gow, I.T.M. "Military Intervention in Pre-War Japanese Politics: Admiral Kato Kanji and the 'Washington System'." London: Routledge, 2004, p. 71. [http://books.google.com/books?id=VlZYAMPrC9wC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=%22league+of+nations%22+takeshita+admiral&source=web&ots=GBuE2immOl&sig=MzUKaan2AZmSAkpRichRIsy3IVs#PPA77,M1] ] [Peattie, Mark R. "Nan'yo: The Rise and Fall of the Japanese in Micronesia, 1885-1945." Honolulu: University of Hawai'i, 1988, p.50. [http://books.google.com/books?id=DHxdSkoo4AMC&pg=RA1-PA50&lpg=RA1-PA50&dq=%22league+of+nations%22+takeshita+admiral&source=web&ots=8YtN9bsHeu&sig=Xa2bplPlqJ-q8s7UNwkI1J2x7Zc] ] For these efforts, Japan awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class).Pranin, Stanley. "Takeshita, Isamu," "The Encyclopedia of Aikido". [http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia.php?entryID=669] ] He returned to Japan to accept a posting as commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet on 1 December 1922, a position he held until January 1924. His subsequent billets included Commander of the Kure Naval District. He was placed on the retired list in November 1929.Nishida, Hiroshi. "People: Naval Academy, class 15." [http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/index.htm] ] ]

Activities after retirement from the Navy

During the late summer of 1935, Takeshita made his fifth trip to the United States. ["New York Times," September 5, 1935.] His mission was to tell US audiences about Japan's war in China, the purpose of which he said was to stop the spread of Communism. ["Japanese-American Courier," August 31, 1935, p. 1; "Great Northern Daily News," September 7, 1935, p. 8; "New York Times," September 25, 1935; "New York Times," September 27, 1935.] As for Japan's relationship with the United States, "No Japanese warship has ever crossed the Pacific except on a mission of peace," he said during a radio broadcast in San Francisco. "No Japanese soldier has ever come to these shores except on a similar mission." ["Great Northern Daily News," September 5, 1935, p. 8.]

In February 1937, Takeshita was appointed head of the Japanese Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, and YMCA. This was part of the general militarization of Japanese sports and athletics taking place at that time. [Abe, Ikuo, Kiyohara,Yasuharu, and Nakajima, Ken. "Sport and physical education under fascistization in Japan," "Bulletin of Health and Sport Sciences", University of Tsukuba, 13, 1990, pp. 25-46. [http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_abe_0600.htm] ] Later that year, he was also approached about becoming the head of the Japanese Amateur Athletic Federation, but he declined this offer. ["Japan Times and Mail," December 17, 1936, p. 5.]

In May 1939, Takeshita became the third president of the Japan Sumo Association. ["Japan Times and Mail," May 4, 1939. [http://www.juryo.net/newspaper/1930/19390504J.htm] ] He held this post until November 1945. ["Nippon Times," November 28, 1945, p. 3. [http://www.juryo.net/newspaper/1940/19451128J.htm] ]

In April 1941, he became head of Japan's New Sword Society. This organization supported makers of modern swords that were hand-made in the traditional fashion. ["Nippon Times," April 11, 1941, p. 2; "Nippon Times," June 4, 1941, p.8.]

He died in Tokyo in July 1949. ["New York Times," July 7, 1949.]

Connection with aikido

Encounter with Morihei Ueshiba

Takeshita first heard of Morihei Ueshiba through his colleague at the Imperial Naval Academy, Admiral Seikyo Asano, who was studying "Daito-ryu aiki jujutsu" (the forerunner of aikido) under Ueshiba at Ayabe. In 1925, Takeshita went to Ayabe to see Ueshiba and was so impressed that he recommended Ueshiba to Yamamoto Gonnohyoe, a retired admiral and former Prime Minister of Japan. This recommendation caused Yamamoto to invite Ueshiba to Tokyo to provide demonstrations to the Japanese military and political elite. Ueshiba's stay was however interrupted by sickness and he had to return to his hometown of Tanabe.

In February 1927, Takeshita invited Ueshiba to Tokyo again, and this time, Ueshiba settled there.Ueshiba, Morihei and Ueshiba, Kissōmaru. "Budo: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido." Translated by John Stevens. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1996, p. 14.] Takeshita's influence was such that many military officers, government officials and members of the wealthy class began practicing Ueshiba's martial art. Takeshita was not only an admirer but also an ardent practitioner of aikido, despite his age (he was almost 50). He filled notebooks with descriptions of Ueshiba's techniques, and these descriptions provide insights into the development of aikido. [Pranin, Stanley A. "Morihei Ueshiba and Admiral Isamu Takeshita," "Aiki News," 97, Fall/Winter 1993. [http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=72] ]

Role in the promotion of aikido

In 1935, Takeshita gave a demonstration of Ueshiba's art at the first Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai (Society for the Promotion of Japanese Classical Martial Arts) demonstration. Later that same year, Takeshita gave public demonstrations of aikido in Seattle, Washington and Washington, D.C; this was the introduction of aikido to the United States. [Svinth, Joseph R. "Aikido Comes to America: September 1935." [http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth7_1199.htm] ; "New York Times," September 21, 1935.]

In 1940, Takeshita was instrumental in providing a legal identity to Ueshiba's Kobukan organization by founding the Kobukai Foundation and becoming its first president. Also, in 1941, Takeshita used his influence to arrange a demonstration of aikido by Ueshiba at the Imperial Palace Sainekan Dojo. The demonstration took place in front of the Imperial family. Although ill, Ueshiba gave a spectacular exhibition, which greatly impressed the nobility.Pranin, Stanley. "Takeshita, Isamu," "The Encyclopedia of Aikido". [http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia.php?entryID=669] ]

References