IJUIN, Goro. Born Satsuma, later Kagoshima Prefecture; fought as Satsuma samurai and footsoldier in major actions of the Boshin war (1868); with establishment of the new imperial government, entered the naval academy (1871); as cadet served on navy vessels in the Taiwan expedition (1874), the Kanghwa Island incident off Korea (1875), and the suppression of the Satsuma rebellion (1877); sent to England for study (1877); made ensign (1878); completed course at Greenwich Naval College (1883); post on navy general staff began long career as staff specialist (1886-89); miscellaneous fleet staff and navy general staff posts (1892-99); captain (1894); vice chief of navy general staff (1899-1902, 1903-06); rear admiral (1899); credited with the development of "the Ijuin fuse," used in heavy shells in Russo-Japanese war (1904-05); made baron (1907); chief of navy general staff (1909-14); as close confidant of navy chief Yamamoto Gonnohyoe, was an important planner and specialist in naval technology in both the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars; worked for the Anglo-Japanese alliance (1902) behind the scenes; on strength of these contributions was awarded honorary rank of fleet admiral (1917) despite never having commanded a ship.