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| Dai-gensui 大元帥 (Japanese) | |
|---|---|
 The Shōwa Emperor in the dress uniform of a grand marshal (c. 1935) | |
| Country |  Empire of Japan |
| Service branch |  Imperial Japanese Army Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Formation | 1872 |
| Abolished | 1947 |
| Next lower rank | Gensui (army andnavy variant) |
TheSupreme Commander-in-chief of theImperial Japanese Army and Navy (Japanese:大元帥陸海軍大将,romanized: Dai-gensui-riku-kai-gun-taishō) was thehighest rank of theImperial Japanese Army and theImperial Japanese Navy from 1871 to 1945, when theEmpire of Japan wasdissolved. The rank was only ever held by theEmperor of Japan asSupreme commander-in-chief of theImperial Japanese Armed Forces and, separately, the highest-rankingofficer in each of themilitary branches. It formally became obsolete in 1945 when the Imperial Japanese military was abolished.
The term originated in the Chinese military titleda yuan shuai (大元帥), a title higher thanyuan shuai (元帥, pronouncedgensui in Japanese).
Decree No. 252 by theDajokan, dated 7 September 1872 first made formal mention of the rank ofdai-gensui; however, no appointments to the rank were made before the rank was abolished along with that ofgensui on 8 May 1873. By "Draft Ordinance No. 142" of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Chapter 1 Part 1) of 30 September 1889, the Emperor was officially given the rank ofdai-gensui and installed as supreme commander of the Army and Navy.
Thekanji characters also refer to a Buddhist deity,Daigensui Myō'ō (大元帥明王), aWisdom King worshipped by the Imperial Court sinceEmperor Ninmyō and by theShingon sect, for its legendary miraculous power to quell foreign enemies and rebellions, just like a military leader.
The insignia of adai-gensui were identical to those of a full general, with the addition of the gold imperial chrysanthemum.
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| Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||
 | Meiji Emperor (1852–1912) | 1889 | 30 July 1912 † | 23–24 years | |
.jpg) | Taishō Emperor (1879–1926) | 30 July 1912 | 25 December 1926 † | 13–14 years | |
| Shōwa Emperor (1901–1989) | 25 December 1926 | 2 September 1945 | 18–19 years | |
