Japan, he chose to make an epic crossing of two continents on horseback, from Berlin to Vladivostok. The trip took one year and four months, and had as one of its objectives, inspecting the construction of the still under construction Trans-Siberian Railway as well as gathering intelligence of the local infrastructure, command and control, along the way. During this journey, on 1 March 1893 prior to entering Manchuria, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. The story of his 14,000 kilometer ride made him a Japanese national hero, and earned him the Order of the Sacred Treasures, third class. After his return to Japan from his ride across Asia, Fukushima donated his horses to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, where they quickly became famous tourist attractions. Service during the Boxer Rebellion Fukushima subsequently saw service in the Boxer Rebellion (1900), where he was in command of Japanese forces in Tianjin, as well as the Foreign Legation. Afterwards, he returned briefly to the Imperial Japanese Army Academy to study under the German General Jakob Meckel. Further travels and foreign honors As a General Staff officer after the war, he visited Egypt, Ottoman Turkey, Persia, Arabia, India, Burma, Siam and Turkistan. In 1902, he represented Emperor Meiji at the coronation of King Edward VII of Great Britain, and participated in secret diplomatic negotiations behind the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. He was awarded an honorary Knight-Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) and Order of Prince Danilo I. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) Fukushiama traveled through Saskatchewan, Canada on the way to New York for the purpose of negotiating financial assistance for the war. He stopped his special train just east of Regina, Saskatchewan to view the prairies. The siding where he stopped was named Fukushiama in his honour. Honors in Japan Fukushima also served with distinction in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), and in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). In 1907, Fukushima was elevated to the title of danshaku (baron) under the kazoku peerage system. From April 26, 1912 to September 15, 1914, he served as the Governor-General of Kwantung Leased Territory. In 1914, he was promoted to general and was transferred to the second reserve. After the transfer, he served as vice-president of the Association of Reservists. Poetry and death Fukushima was on good terms with fellow poet General Akashi Motojiro, and although not close friends, the two men shared ideas on the long term