 Complete the following phrase:  A native of Kagoshima prefecture, Samejima was the younger son of a samurai of Satsuma Domain. He joined the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army in 1871, and rose up from the ranks, starting with corporal in June 1873. He attended the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in March 1874 and was commissioned as an ensign with the Tokyo Garrison. He was a participant of the 