Yōzō Kaneko

was a pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the founder of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, he studied at Shudo Junior and Senior High School and the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. As a naval officer he participated in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War. In 1911, Kaneko was sent to France and trained as a pilot. In 1912, at Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Kaneko made the first flight in Japanese naval history, piloting a Farman seaplane for 15 minutes. In 1914, Kaneko and two other naval officers flew a mission in the Siege of Tsingtao during World War I, which was the first air attack in Japanese naval history. He was appointed the first commander and trainer of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in 1916 and contributed to the development of the Service. Kaneko was promoted to major general in 1926.