Akiyama Saneyuki Biography . Early life and career . Akiyama was born in Matsuyama Domain , Iyo Province , as a son of a poor " samurai " . As a youth , he studied literature , especially traditional " waka " poetry . The famous poet Masaoka Shiki was his friend from childhood . Later the two young men went to Tokyo to study literature and Akiyama began to prepare for entry into the Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University . However , Akiyama was forced to abandon his study of letters as his elder brother Yoshifuru ordered him to go to Naval Academy in Tsukiji , Tokyo instead , largely due to the economically severe condition of the Akiyama family . While Akiyama was a student , the Naval Academy moved to Etajima , in Hiroshima prefecture , and was renamed the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy . Akiyama was an outstanding student , graduating at in 1890 at the top of the 17th class , out of 88 cadets . He graduated just weeks after the publication of the first and last chapters of Alfred Thayer Mahan ' s classic study , " The Influence of Sea Power Upon History , 1660 - 1783 " in its Japanese translation in July 1890 . Akiyama served his midshipman tour on the " Hiei " and cruiser . On commissioning as an ensign in 1892 , he rose through the ranks in a variety of routine shipboard assignments and duties that included deployments throughout the Pacific Ocean , Mediterranean Sea , and European waters . He was assigned to the " Ryūjō " . He subsequently served on the , , ( during the Battle of Weihaiwei in the First Sino - Japanese War ) , and . Following the hostilities he served a tour at the Imperial Navy ' s Torpedo school and then was assigned to naval intelligence , where he spent several months posing as a laborer and conducting missions in Manchuria and Korea . Studies in the United States . After his promotion to lieutenant in 1896 , Akiyama was sent to the United States as a naval attaché from 26 June 1897 to 27 December 1899 . It was a time of heightened tension between Japan and the United States , due to the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii by American marines and settlers , which nearly led to a rupture of diplomatic relations . On Akiyama ' s arrival in New York , he attempted to contact Alfred Thayer Mahan for advice and recommendations on how to study at either the US Naval Academy or Naval War College . Mahan was unwilling to help , aside from giving Akiyama a list of books to read . Akiyama then contacted the Assistant Secretary of the Navy , Theodore Roosevelt , but his pleas to be allowed to attend the Naval War College were refused . Akiyama ’ s tour of duty coincided with the start of the Spanish - American War , and he joined the American fleet as a foreign military observer . He was able to watch American forces capture Santiago de Cuba in June 1898 , and the blockade of Havana harbor in July . Akiyama submitted a lengthy report back to Japan on his observations , and noting problems in the blockade and landing operations . On conclusion of his tour , he served a short tour as a Naval Attache with the Japanese Embassy in Washington D . C . . In February 1899 , due to the efforts of the Japanese ambassador , Akiyama received permission to serve a six - month tour on board a US Navy warship , the , where he was able to observe American tactics and fleet operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean firsthand . As a result of his service on board , Akiyama participated in several lectures at the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island . On completion of his studies in the United States , Akiyama traveled to England from 27 December 1899 to 20 May 1900 . Instructor at the Navy War College . On his return to Japan , Akiyama was promoted to lieutenant commander and assigned to various staff posts , and was the senior strategy instructor at the Naval War College ( Japan ) from July 1902 - November 1903 . Akiyama initiated a curriculum reform using hypothetical situations to simulate the formulation of orders and development of realistic contingency plans . He also introduced the concepts of wargaming and tabletop map exercises , and developed theories for a new strategic and tactical doctrines for the Japanese Navy based upon his observations during the Spanish - American War . Akiyama focused on Russia as the primary threat to Japan in his lectures . Akiyama was 34 years old , and was lecturing to officers who were of the same age , or in some cases his senior . Nonetheless , he achieved the respect of his peers due to his professional knowledge , expertise and personality . Russo - Japanese War . With the outbreak of the Russo - Japanese War , Akiyama was promoted to commander , but remained on the planning staff , and was a close and trusted confidant of Japanese Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet , Togo Heihachiro . Togo insisted that Akiyama accompany him into battle on his battleship " Mikasa " as an staff officer , and despite his junior rank Akiyama played a central role in planning for the Battle of Port Arthur , Battle of the Yellow Sea , and planning for arrival of the Russian Baltic Fleet and the subsequent Battle of Tsushima . The objective of Japanese navy in Battle of Tsushima was to destroy Russian fleets completely not to allow Russia for having influence on sea of Japan at any cost . He came up with a famous tactic , which is to change the advancing direction in front of enemy referring to an ancient book on Japanese pirates ' tactics . During the preliminary negotiations for the Treaty of Portsmouth , the Japanese government had designated Akiyama as the senior naval representative , but his mother ' s death led to his replacement . Postwar activities . After the end of the war , in 1908 , Akiyama received an assignment as executive officer on " Mikasa " , and subsequently his first command , as captain of " Akitsushima " . He was subsequently captain of the , , , and battlecruiser . Akiyama was promoted to rear admiral on 1 December 1913 . Soon afterwards , the Siemens - Vickers Naval Armaments Scandal of 1914 shook up the government , forcing the resignations of Yamamoto Gonnohyōe and Ōkuma Shigenobu . Akiyama remained one of the few senior officers completely untouched by suspicion or corruption , and was nominated by Yashiro Rokuro as Director - General of the Navy in an effort to restore public confidence . Akiyama served on the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff until his retirement on 1 December 1917 . His major accomplishment during this period was to have the " Otowa " stationed permanently at Shanghai , from which it helped support a large network of intelligence agents posing as exchange student s in all corners of China . At the same time , Akiyama maintained a regular and secret correspondence with Sun Yat - sen , assisting him also materially in his efforts to prevent Yuan Shikai from establishing a new empire . With the outbreak of World War I , Akiyama traveled to Europe via the Trans - Siberian Railroad to Finland , and from there to England , where he met with his old acquaintance , former British naval observer Commander William Christopher Pakenham . He returned to Japan via the United States to assume command of the IJN 2nd Fleet in October 1917 , but by this time he was already very ill , and was forced to resign in late 1917 . On retirement , Akiyama was promoted to vice admiral . In his final years , he became obsessed with religion , especially with the Oomoto movement and Nichiren sect Buddhism and the Heart Sutra . Akiyama died of peritonitis in 1918 at the young age of 49 , His grave is at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo . Cultural impact . Akiyama and his brother , Akiyama Yoshifuru , along with their friend Masaoka Shiki , are the main characters in Shiba Ryotaro ' s popular multi - volume novel , " Saka no ue no kumo " . The novel is also the basis for a three - year NHK television series , also called " Saka no ue no kumo " . The Akiyama birthplace in Matsuyama is now a tourist attraction .