The 1884 French Military Mission to Japan was the third French military mission to that country and consisted of five men. It followed two earlier missions, the first French Military Mission to Japan (1867-1868), and the second French Military Mission to Japan (1872-1880), which had a considerable role in shaping the new Imperial Japanese Army. From 1886 to 1889, Japan somewhat shifted to Germany as a military example, and invited two German officers (particularly Jakob Meckel) in parallel to the French Mission, who were put in charge of reforming the Japanese General Staff.