Saga Rebellion
Samejima was born to a samurai family of Satsuma Domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) and served as a Satsuma samurai in the Boshin War of the Meiji restoration. He entered the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy in 1871, serving on the corvette and fought against his fellow ex-samurai in the suppression of the Saga Rebellion and the Satsuma Rebellion. Samejima was promoted to lieutenant in 1877, lieutenant commander in 1882, commander in 1886, and captain later that year. He served as executive officer on the corvette from 1878 through 1884.