Yamamoto Gonbei was a navy officer and statesman from Meiji to pre-war days of Showa. He contributed to the development of the Japanese navy and was promoted to Admiral of Navy in 1904 (37th year of Meiji). He formed the first Yamamoto Cabinet in 1913 (2nd year of Taisho), but resigned next year due to the Siemens Incident. During the second Yamamoto Cabinet starting in 1923 (12th year of Taisho), he engaged in the restoration work after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but the cabinet did not last long caused by the Toranomon Incident (the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince at Tranomon in Tokyo). Yamamoto Gonbei died in 1933 (8th year of Showa) at the age of 83.

As for underlined characters in the texts or chronological tables, small type is linked with related materials and bold-faced type is linked with the glossary, respectively.

Year Occurrence
1852 (5th year of Kaei) Born in current Kagoshima Prefecture.
1870 (3rd year of Meiji) Entered "Kaigun Heigakuryo" (predecessor of the Naval Academy) .
1898 (31st year of Meiji)

Promoted to Vice Admiral.
　Yamamoto concurrently took office as Minister of Navy in the second Yamagata Aritomo cabinet. Yamamoto continued to serve in the cabinet until 1906 (39th year of Meiji).
(Pages 55 to 61, Volume 3 of Japanese pocket edition of "Saka no ue no Kumo")

Title: Concerning construction period of two iron-made battleships under the 3rd naval expansion expense budget.
 Reference code: A03023085000
　Yamamoto made efforts to develop the navy before the opening of the Russo-Japanese War. This is a report on construction of two battleships at a British shipbuilding company.
(Source: National Archives of Japan (NAJ))

1904 (37th year of Meiji)

Russo-Japanese War broke out in February.

Title: Establishing the Imperial Headquarters at the Imperial Court.
 Reference code: A01200935100
　This is the document reporting from the Ministers of Army and Navy to Prime Minister of the Cabinet that the Imperial Headquarters was established at the Imperial Court. The list includes the name of Yamamoto Gonbei, then Minister of Navy.

Title: Emergency procurement of battleships
 Reference code: A03023085100
　In connection with the naval victory in the Russo-Japanese War, Yamamoto requested a further expansion of the navy equipment. The 4th image describes the construction of 2 armored cruisers as main battleships and 5 submarines as one of the newest weapons at that time.
(Source: National Archives of Japan (NAJ))

1913 (2nd year of Taisho) The 1st Yamamoto Cabinet started.
1914 (3rd year of Taisho) The Yamamoto Cabinet resigned en bloc taking the responsibility for the Siemens Incident (bribe incident of the Navy).
1923 (12th year of Taisho) The 2nd Yamamoto Cabinet started.
The Yamamoto Cabinet resigned en bloc taking the responsibility for the Toranomon Incident (the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince at Toranomon in Tokyo).
1933 (8th year of Taisho) Yamamoto died on December 9 at the age of 83.