Gengo Hyakutake Biography . Born to a low - ranking samurai of Saga Domain , Hyakutake ’ s elder brother Saburō Hyakutake was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy , and his younger brother Harukichi Hyakutake was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army . Initially destined for a career in agriculture , after his elder brother Kōji ’ s death due to illness , he decided to follow his brother ’ s desires for a naval career instead . Hyakutake graduated from the 30th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1902 and was appointed an ensign the following year . He served on and during the Russo - Japanese War of 1904 - 1905 , and was on " Mikasa " during the Battle of the Yellow Sea . Afterwards , he transferred to the , followed by the battleship , on which he participated in the Battle of Tsushima . He was promoted to sub - lieutenant in December 1905 . After the war , Hyakutake served on the cruiser , on which he made a voyage to Great Britain . In September 1907 , he was promoted to lieutenant . He graduated from Naval Artillery School the same year . After serving on and , he attended the Naval Staff College in 1910 and was promoted to lieutenant commander in December 1912 . Hyakutake was subsequently sent to the United States from May 1915 through June 1917 , and was promoted to the rank of commander in April 1917 . On his return , he served as an instructor at the Naval Staff College through the end of 1921 . In the period following the Russo - Japanese War , the Imperial Japanese Navy had increasingly looked towards the United States Navy as its “ theoretical number one enemy ” and had increasing promoted an anti - American stance in politics . Hyakutake spoke out strongly against this trend in his lectures at the Naval Staff College , emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation with the United States . In December 1920 , Hyakutake was promoted to captain , and in December 1921 was given command of the cruiser . " Tama " was assigned as escort to during its visit with the Prince of Wales to Japan , and collided with a collier off Shimonoseki . Hyakutake transferred command to the cruiser in March 1923 , and joined the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in December of the same year . In February 1925 , Hyakutake was sent as a naval attache to France and in June of the same year was part of Japan ’ s delegation to the League of Nations . In December 1925 , while in France , he was promoted to rear admiral , and returned to Japan in February 1926 . On his return , he continued to teach at the Naval Staff College , continuing to promote the concepts of disarmament , external cooperation and negotiations and thus coming increasingly into conflict with the militaristic ultra - nationalism of General Sadao Araki and members of the Imperial Japanese Army ’ s Imperial Way Faction . His relations with General Shigeru Honjō were so strained that Honjō refused to speak or meet with him . Hyakutake was promoted to vice admiral on December 1 , 1930 and became Commandant of the Naval Staff College in 1932 . In September 1933 , he was transferred to become commander of the Maizuru Naval District and in November 1934 was commander - in - chief of the IJN 3rd Fleet . He became commander of the Sasebo Naval District in December 1935 and commander of the Yokosuka Naval District from December 1936 . Promoted to full admiral on April 1 , 1937 , Hyakutake then became a Naval Councillor on April 26 , 1938 . He remained stubbornly steadfast in his opposition to war with the United States , and was forced into early retirement in July 1942 . In March 1945 , he briefly was president of Kyushu Imperial University . After the war , Hyakutake moved to Inasa District , Shizuoka , where he took up farming . He died in 1976 at the age of 93 .