Editing Yamamoto Gonnohyōe (section)

===Naval career===
[[File:Yamamoto Gonnohyoe bust portrait.jpg|thumb|left|Yamamoto Gonnohyoe]]
After graduation in 1874, Yamamoto went on a training cruise to [[Europe]] and [[South America]] aboard [[Imperial German Navy]] vessels from 1877 to 1878, and as junior officer acquired much sea experience. He wrote a gunnery manual that became the standard for the Imperial Japanese Navy and served as [[executive officer]] of the [[cruiser]] {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Naniwa||2}} on its shakedown voyage from [[Elswick, Tyne and Wear|Elswick]] to Japan (1885 to 1886). After serving as captain of the [[corvette]] {{ship|Japanese corvette|Amagi||2}}, he accompanied [[Ministry of the Navy of Japan|Navy Minister]] [[Kabayama Sukenori]] on a trip to the [[United States]] and Europe that lasted over a year (1887 to 1888).

As commander of the cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Takao|1888|2}}, he undertook a confidential mission to meet [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] General [[Yuan Shikai]] in [[Seoul|Hanseong (Seoul)]], [[Korea]] (1890). Afterwards, he assumed command of the {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Takachiho||2}}.

Working under his patron, Navy Minister [[Saigō Tsugumichi]] from 1893, Yamamoto became the real leader of the navy; initiating numerous reforms, attempting to end favoritism toward officers of his own Satsuma province, attempting to end officers from profiteering from military office, and attempting to attain roughly equal status with the Army in the [[Supreme War Council (Japan)|Supreme War Council]]. He also pushed for an aggressive strategy towards the [[Qing Dynasty|Chinese Empire]] in the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] (1894–95). Yamamoto was promoted to [[rear admiral]] in 1895 and to [[vice admiral]] in 1898.