Ōshima Hisanao

Ōshima Hisanao
General Ōshima Hisanao
Native name	大島久直
Born	(1848-10-01)1 October 1848 Akita Prefecture, Japan
Died	27 September 1920(1920-09-27) (aged 71)
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1870 - 1913
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Boshin War Satsuma Rebellion First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War

Viscount Ōshima Hisanao (大島久直^?, 1 October 1848 – 27 September 1928) was a general in the early Imperial Japanese Army.

Ōshima was the younger son of a samurai family of Akita Domain (present day Akita Prefecture). From 1868 to 1869 he fought during the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration on the imperial side, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the early Imperial Japanese Army. In December 1875, he was deputy chief-of-staff of the Tokyo Garrison. During the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, he commanded a battalion.

He returned to the Tokyo Garrison after the war, serving in various posts, and was promoted to colonel in April 1887. In April 1889, he was appointed commander of the Imperial Guard’s Third Infantry Regiment and in June 1890 was commandant of the Army Staff College. In 1892, Ōshima was promoted to major general and was assigned command of the IJA 5th Infantry Brigade. In November 1893, he took over command of the IJA 6th Infantry Brigade, which he led in combat during the First Sino-Japanese War.

After the war, Ōshima served as chief-of-staff of the Taiwan Garrison and in August 1895 was elevated to the kazoku peerage with the title of baron (danshaku), and was also awarded the Order of the Golden Kite, 3rd class. He was promoted to lieutenant general in October 1898, and was assigned command of the newly formed IJA 9th Infantry Division. In 1903, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class.