Akina Sumiyoshi
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Akina Sumiyoshi | |
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| Born | 22 July 1791 Edo, Musashi Province, Takagawa Shogunate |
| Died | 25 March 1910 (aged 108) Insomnia, Lucis, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  Takagawa Shogunate (1810 - 1815) Lucis Empire (1815 - 1830)
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| Years of service | 1810 - 1830 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held |  Chiyoda Company Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Sandoric Wars |
| Relations | Richard Kelkirk-Kitagawa (lover, later husband) Daidoji Kitagawa (great-grandson) Kiriya Kitagawa (3rd great-grandson) |
Akina Sumiyoshi (22 July 1791 - 25 March 1910) was a Nihhonese soldier who served as a member of the Tachibana Clan during the years of the Takagawa Shogunate. Exposed to military training in an early age, she found herself interested in the arts of war. She was also the first female Nihhonese military commander in history of Eordis. She is also recognized as the first Lucian female supercentenarian following her birthday in 1901.
In 1815, Sumiyoshi was a part of the Nihhonese contingent to serve as military guardsmen for the Lucis Nihhon-koku Company. She was later assigned to the Chiyoda Company Post and was given an automatic Lucian citizenship in accordance with the Lucis East Indiae Company Act of 1750, which established the Lucis Nihhon-koku Company and granted Lucian rights to any Nihhonese local who would serve in the company. She is recognized as the commander of the first independent Nihhonese formation in service of the Lucis Empire.
Despite early setbacks amongst her peers for her gender, she showed herself to be a cunning commander, hence he was eventually respected and accepted as one of the most successful commanders of the war. She is recognized for aiding Richard Kelkirk-Kitagawa in preserving the Tea trade between Indiae and Nihhon-koku during the 1816 Darjeeling Campaign.
Sumiyoshi is the great-grandmother of Daidoji Kitagawa and the 3rd great-grandmother of Kiriya Kitagawa.
Early Life
Military Career
Following the Chiyoda Incident of 1815, in which Royal Navy ships engaged with raiding Aurucolian Navy ships; the Lucis Nihhon-koku Company was requested by the Governor-General of the Lucis East Indiae Company, Benedict Humeray to send in Nihhonese volunteers to help fight against the Aurucolians. This formed the first independent Nihhonese formation in the Lucis Empire and was called as the Chiyoda Company Regiment with Sumiyoshi in command.
Personal Life
Following the war, Sumiyoshi was proposed to and married Richard Kelkirk-Kitagawa. She returned to Nihhon-koku in 1830 following her husband's assignment as the Governor of the Lucis Nihhon-koku Company. Together, she mothered 5 children with Richard until his death in 1875.
Sumiyoshi's brilliant career as the first female Nihhonese commander gave rise to her descendants to serve in the Lucis Army. Among her descendants, two men are the most recognizable; her great-grandson Daidoji Kitagawa and her 3rd great-grandson Kiriya Kitagawa. Her stories also served as the inspiration of Brigadier Tsukuyo Kushineda in becoming the first Lucian female commander in history.