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Description
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After the abolition of feudal domains the Meiji government established a system of six military districts and six military garrisons throughout the country to suppress the grievances and discontent of the samurai class, establishing the Hiroshima Garrison of the Fifth Military District in Hiroshima in 1873. Later, as military invasion of the Asian continent became a national policy, the Meiji government began to modernize the military and reform the military system to improve facilities and develop a strong army. In 1888 the garrisons were reorganized to form divisions, thereby establishing the Fifth Division in Hiroshima.
Since the construction of Ujina Port was completed just before the Sino-Japanese War began in August 1894 and the Sanyo Railway had already been extended, a military railroad line (later to become the Japan National Railways Ujina Line) was built immediately after the war began. Connecting Hiroshima Station and Ujina Port, it made Hiroshima a front-line base for the Sino-Japanese War. The headquarters of the Fifth Division were set up in Hiroshima Castle where the Imperial General Headquarters for directing the Sino-Japanese War was established: the Emperor Meiji moved to Hiroshima, and an extraordinary Imperial Diet session was held in a hastily constructed provisional Diet building. Emperor Meiji commanded the war from Hiroshima until May 30, 1896, after the signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace. This led to Hiroshima becoming known as a "Military Capital."
Later, an Army Transportation Department was established as a base for deploying troops and three arsenals were built: an ordnance depot responsible for the procurement, storage, supply, and repair of weapons; a clothing depot responsible for the manufacture and storage of army uniforms and boots; and a rations and fodder depot responsible for procuring and storing food for soldiers and manufacturing canned beef. The fact that Kure, a suburb of Hiroshima, developed into a major naval base at about the same time also contributed to the salience of the name "Military Capital" Hiroshima. In 1889 the Kure Naval District and Shipbuilding Department were established in Kure, and in 1903 these were reorganized into the Kure Naval Arsenal making Kure the research, development, and manufacturing center for the Empire’s most advanced warships. Furthermore, in 1921 the Hiro branch of the Kure Naval Arsenal (later split off as the Hiro Naval Arsenal) was established in Hiro, located to the east of Kure and was responsible for the development of fighter aircraft, the most advanced high-tech industry of the time. In these ways, as Hiroshima and Kure became major hubs for both the army and navy, the "Military Capital" Hiroshima became a major base for the overseas expansion of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.
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