In a world far distant from the shores of modern day Japan, a young Isoroku Yamamoto and Mihashi Rreiko pose for a photo after taking their nuptial vows at the Navy Club in Shiba, Tokyo on the 31st of August, 1918. Isoroku immaculate in his naval uniform and Mihashi complementing the western style military attire with the serenity of a traditional Japanese Kimono.
Then a 34 year old Lieutenant Commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy, still years away from becoming the most widely known Japanese admiral in the U.S. for masterminding the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941. Isoroku, born Isoroku Takano, had recently been adopted by the influential Yamamoto clan and to ensure the continuity of his adopted family with male descendants entered into this matrimonial alliance with Mihashi Rreiko – the daughter of a dairy farmer from the island of Wakamatsu, groomed from birth by prevailing social norms to reflect the ideals of Japanese women of the time.
Introduced to him by Takeichi Hori his long time friend and classmate from the Naval Academy of Eta Jima in Hiroshima. The twenty two year old Mihashi at the time had been the compatible match Isoroku was searching for in a life partner. An inch or two shorter than his 5 feet 3 inch frame, so as to not make him feel awkward in Japanese society, she had also lacked social ambitions, which he most certainly did not want in a spouse, and was prepared to live the hard life of a naval officer’s wife. Which is to say go lengthy periods of time without having her husband around.
Though Isoroku and Mihashi’s wedded life eventually proved to be an unhappy one with Isoroku believed to have continued his indulgence with Geisha escorts even after his wedding. Mihashi nonetheless was to bear him four children. The eldest out of which being a boy was to carry on the Yamamoto name.
Their wedding on the 31st of August, 1918 had taken place according to the Samurai customs of the day which overlooked love affairs and courtships in favour of arranged marriages, and usually endowed men with greater rights than women.
Isoroku himself was a Samurai of the Echigo clan, settled in the region of Nagaoka in the Niigata Prefecture of Japan and his name in essence meant the number 56. Which was incidentally his father’s age when he was born.
He was adopted at the adult age of 32 when both his parents were deceased – as per a Japanese custom that allowed families without male heirs to continue their family line via a selection process.
