Nogi Maresuke
Russo-Japanese WarMeeting between Anatoly Stessel of Russia and Nogi Maresuke of Japan, opposing generals in the Russo-Japanese War, January 27, 1905.
Russo-Japanese WarAnatoly Stessel (left) of Russia and Nogi Maresuke of Japan, opposing generals in the Russo-Japanese War, sharing a toast after arranging the terms of Russia's surrender of Port Arthur (now Lüshun, China), January 27, 1905.
Nogi Maresuke (born December 1849, Edo [Tokyo], Japan—died Sept. 13, 1912, Tokyo) was a general in Meiji-period Japan. He served as governor of Taiwan (then occupied by Japan) and fought in the Russo-Japanese War. On the death of the Meiji emperor, Nogi and his wife committed ritual suicide by seppuku (self-disembowelment), considered the ultimate samurai act of loyalty. This action affected such Meiji-period writers as Natsume Sōseki and Mori Ōgai (1862–1922) and illuminated the contrast between Japan’s feudal past and rapidly modernizing present.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
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Article Title:
Nogi Maresuke
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
27 November 2025
Access Date:
November 14, 2026