Mitsumasa Yonai

Mitsumasa Yonai (米内 光政, Yonai Mitsumasa, March 2, 1880 – April 20, 1948) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and politician. He was the 37th Prime Minister of Japan from January 16 to July 22, 1940.

Early life and naval career

Yonai was born in Morioka city, Iwate Prefecture as the first son of an ex-samurai retainer of the Nambu clan of the Morioka Domain. He graduated from the 29th class Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1901, ranked 68 of 125 cadets (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, n.d.). After midshipman service on the corvette Kongō, and cruiser Tokiwa he was commissioned as ensign in January 1903. He served in administrative positions until near the end of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, when he went to sea again on the destroyer Inazuma and the cruiser Iwate.

After the war, he served as chief gunnery officer on the cruiser Niitaka, battleship Shikishima, and cruiser Tone. After his promotion to lieutenant commander in December 1912, he graduated from the Naval War College and was assigned as naval attaché to Russia during the height of World War I, from 1915-1917. While overseas, he was promoted to commander; after the collapse of the Russian Empire, he was recalled to Japan and later became executive officer on the battleship Asahi. He rose to the rank of captain in December 1920 and was subsequently sent as naval attaché to Poland from 1921-1922.