Military officer. Born in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, the son of a samurai of the Kagoshima Clan. In 1879, he graduated from the Military Academy. In 1881, he went to France to study. He served in the Russo-Japanese War as a staff officer in the Fourth Army. In 1912, he became War Minister in the second Saionji cabinet. Since the cabinet pursued a tight fiscal policy, it came into conflict with the army, which was demanding an increase of two divisions. As he resigned as War Minister over this conflict, the cabinet resigned en masse, which led to the "Taisho political crisis." Later, he became inspector general of military training and chief of the General Staff. He was highly esteemed as a senior member of the Satsuma clique in the army, and was the founder of the army engineers.