You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (December 2014) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
View a machine-translated version of the Japanese article.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 1,309 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Japanese Wikipedia article at [[:ja:ボーイスカウト日本連盟]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template {{Translated|ja|ボーイスカウト日本連盟}} to the talk page.
This article is missing information about response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(March 2011)
The Scout Association of Japan (ボーイスカウト日本連盟, Bōi Sukauto Nihon Renmei) is the major Scouting organization of Japan. Starting with boys only, the organization was known as Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922 to 1971, and as Boy Scouts of Nippon from 1971 to 1995, when it became coeducational in all sections, leading to neutral naming. Scouting activity decreased radically during World War II but slowly recovered; membership at the end of May 2017 was 99,779.[2]
History
Early years
Japanese Boy Scouts – Yokohama, 1912 (from The Japan Gazette, 3 April 1912)A 1916 photograph of Japanese Boy Scouts drilling with rifles (from 13 January 1916 Leslie's Illustrated Weekly Newspaper)
Scouting was introduced to Japan in the autumn of 1909[3] by ambassador Akizuki Satsuo and Japanese teacher Hōjō Tokiyuki, who had visited England in 1908. A Japanese text based on Scouting for Boys was published as early as 1910,[3] and a few sporadic troops sprang up, without any cohesion and without a proper grasp of the principles and aims of Scouting.
The Scout troop in Yokohama welcomed Baden-Powell during his visit on 2 April 1912. The troop consisted primarily of British boys, but, from the beginning, also included a small number of American, Danish, and Norwegian boys and was led by a British Scouter, merchant Clarence Griffin. The 1st Yokohama, as it was called, had its first meeting on October 16, 1911, and was registered as a British Troop Abroad. The Troop charter and a Scoutmaster Warrant for Clarence Griffin were issued by Baden-Powell. With this registration only those with British nationality were able to "officially" join the troop, although this rule seems to have been loosely enforced. The Scout Association of Japan recognizes Clarence Griffin as Japan's first Scoutmaster and the "1st Yokohama", now the International Boy Scouts, Troop 1, as Japan's first recognized Boy Scout troop with a marker placed on his grave in the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. In 1918, at the urging of missionary Bro. Joseph Janning, the Group registration was changed to "international" and boys of all nationalities were officially allowed to join the troop. In 1923 this Group became the first directly registered Group of the newly formed Boy Scout International Bureau (now World Scout Bureau).[4]
The Troop remains active in Yokohama as the International Boy Scouts, Troop 1.
seal of the Nippon Kenjidan, precursor to the modern association
During his short 1912 visit to Japan Baden-Powell did, however, see something of the Kenjinsha, an old time youth movement. During this period homegrown Japanese troops began to develop and existed alongside expatriate troops in Yokohama, Kobe and Osaka. Hiroshi Koshiba started a Tokyo-based group in 1913. At the time of the coronation of the Taishō Emperor in 1915, Scouts were organized in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Kyoto and Hokkaido.
In 1920 three delegates, Toyomatsu Shimoda, Hiroshi Koshiba, and Richard Suzuki, attended the 1st World Scout Jamboree at Olympia, London. Shimoda and Koshiba were both adults and, when they met Richard Suzuki aboard ship and learned he was a Scout, they invited him to join. Richard was the son of a Japanese father and a British mother and was traveling to England for study. Richard was a member of the Yokohama international troop and, being the only Scout aged delegate, Richard carried the Japanese placard in the "Procession of the Nations" during the opening ceremonies.[5]
In 1920 Crown Prince, later Emperor, Hirohito also visited Great Britain, experienced Scouting first hand and expressed the hope that Scouting would develop fully in Japan and join the world movement. The Nippon Kenjidan, forerunner of the "Boy Scouts of Japan" was founded in 1921, when Shimoda began a national group that was restructured and merged with other groups in April 1922.[3] The organization was reformed as the Boy Scouts of Japan in April 1922 by Count Futara Yoshinori and Viscount Mishima Michiharu. Japan was admitted as a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement later in 1922.[6]
The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake brought the work of the Scouts of Tokyo and Kobe to the notice of the general public. Count Gotō Shimpei, a doctor and a statesman, was made the first Chief Scout of Japan and tasked with the rebuilding. As Minister of Railways, Count Gotō travelled around the country, and was able to promote Scouting in his spare time. In 1924, Japan fielded a full contingent of 25 to the 2nd World Scout Jamboree in Denmark under Rear Admiral Count Sano Tsuneha, during which Count Sano attended a Wood Badge course at Gilwell Park. Count Sano returned to Japan and created Japan's own training course, called Jisshu-jo, for both Cub and Scout leaders, which is still used to this day, after completion of two preliminary courses, Koshu-kai and Kenshu-kai.
Count Futara Yoshinori was the first Japanese member of the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1931 until 1939.
In February 1937, Isamu Takeshita was appointed head of the Boy Scouts of Japan, the Sea Scouts, and the YMCA, as part of the general militarization of Japanese sports and athletics taking place at that time.[7]
Japanese military authorities did not consistently encourage the Scouting movement in occupied territories. Where local conditions were favorable, authorities would permit local Scouting or introduce Japanese-style Scouting, or Shōnendan, and sometimes even made this compulsory. On the other hand, where conditions were not favorable, and anti-Japanese sentiments were likely to be nurtured through Scouting, the authorities would prohibit it entirely.[8]
World War II and aftermath
Scouting in Japan suffered almost complete eclipse in World War II, and took time to recover. Occupation authorities had blacklisted the ex-military officers, disregarding age or sympathies. This held Count Sano and others back from their sincere desire to restore Boy Scouts of Japan to its former correct basis. Gradually, military supervision was relaxed and the original group began to take over, with beneficial results.
The occupation period was difficult on Scouting, just as it was on Japanese daily life. The participant patch (usually embroidered or woven) for the first National Scout Rally was printed on paper, because of the financial situation of that time. Period pieces of Scouting memorabilia from that time are rare and highly prized. Japan was re-admitted as a full member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1950, remarkable and unique in the history of nations in which Scouting has been interrupted. Within ten years of World War II, Scout membership had grown to 80,000. In 1957, the first Wood Badge course by that name was held in Japan. In 1959, Japan held the Second Nippon Jamboree, shortly after the conclusion of the 10th World Scout Jamboree in the Philippines.
In 1971, BSJ hosted three major World Scouting events, the 13th World Scout Jamboree and the 1st World Scout Forum in Shizuoka, and the 23rd World Scout Conference in Tokyo.
After the 13th World Scout Jamboree in 1971, there was discussion about the national association's name. The word "Japan" is not Japanese, rather based on a southern Chinese dialect, which Marco Polo heard as "Zippang", eventually becoming "Japan" in English. The Japanese corrected the association's name to match their own language, as "Boy Scouts of Nippon" in 1971.
Since 1974, SAJ has every year invited some 45 Scouts from Scout associations in the Asia-Pacific Region to take part in major international events such as Jamborees, Ventures, Agoonorees and Rover Scouting events.
In 1995, Japanese Scouting became coeducational and, after that point, to use "Boy Scout" would strictly be incorrect. Further it was decided that the proper national name "Nippon" was not well known worldwide. Japanese Scouting once again changed its national association's name in English to the "Scout Association of Japan" (SAJ). However, there is contradiction in the original charter, that Boy Scouts of Japan (or Nippon) is still used in the writing of the Japanese language Scout Constitution. Therefore, it was decided that the official name is to be in the Japanese language, and the English expression is for the convenience and benefit of overseas Scouts to connect with Japanese Scouting.
SAJ celebrated its 75th anniversary of founding of the National Scout Association in 1997 and hosted the second Asia-Pacific Regional Top Leaders' Summit Conference in Gotemba and Tokyo.
Scouting in Japan has grown steadily and established an eminent place for itself in social education for young people. The aim of the Scout Association of Japan is to help young people become responsible humanitarian citizens, who can appreciate and practice loyalty, courage and self-respect in an international perspective. With the support of volunteer leaders, the Scout movement in Japan provides fun-filled, challenging programs, with an emphasis on developing each young person's character, health, abilities and sense of service to others.
The Scout Association of Japan is a non-political, voluntary movement, with open subscription. The geographic structure of Japanese Scouting is the council, generally conforming to prefecture boundaries. Japanese Scouting also exists abroad, in communities with large native Japanese populations, such as Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Singapore.[9]
In recent years, SAJ held several international events, which include the sixth Nippon Agoonoree in Ehime in August 1999, the 5th Nippon Venture in Ōita in August 2000, the National Rover Moot 2001 in Aichi in August 2001, and the 23rd Asia-Pacific/13th Nippon Jamboree in Osaka in August 2002.
Japanese Scouts are actively involved in international understanding and cooperation programs, such as the ORT twinning project by Rovers with the Bangladesh Scouts, and nationwide fundraising activities for refugees in UNHCR camps.
Scout Association of Japan celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2012
The Japanese Scout uniform consists of a brown vest, brown pants with light blue pockets, and light blue cap for Beaver Scouts; a blue shirt, pants, and cap for Cub Scouts; khaki with green line edge shirt and pants, and a green beret for Boy Scouts; and a khaki shirt and pants, and green beret for Venture, Rover, and adult Scouts. Prior to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, the SAJ introduced new uniforms and phased in new insignia for all sections. Standardized council insignia were introduced for the first time in 2015. The new council badges are 4.8 cm x 11 cm, smaller than the standard US version.
In the Scout Association of Japan, Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts use the term "Promise" (やくそく). Scouts above are use the term "Oath" (ちかい).[14] However, in the official English website of the Scout Association of Japan, these are all called "Promise".[15]
We will be sincere to God (Buddha) and country, and will obey the commandments. Always help others. Strengthen your body, keep your mind healthy, and cultivate virtue..
Scout Law
A Scout is faithful. (スカウトは誠実である。)
A Scout is friendly. (スカウトは友情にあつい。)
A Scout is courteous. (スカウトは礼儀正しい。)
A Scout is kind. (スカウトは親切である。)
A Scout is cheerful. (スカウトは快活である。)
A Scout is thrifty. (スカウトは質素である。)
A Scout is courageous. (スカウトは勇敢である。)
A Scout is thankful. (スカウトは感謝の心をもつ。)
Ranks
The ranks are:
Tenderfoot (Sho-kyū 初級スカウト)
2nd Class (Ni-kyū 2級スカウト)
1st Class (Ikkyū 1級スカウト)
Chrysanthemum (Kiku 菊スカウト)
The highest rank of the Boy Scouts is the Kiku Scout (菊スカウト). "Kiku" is the Japanese word for chrysanthemum.
The highest rank of the Venture Scouts is the Fuji Scout (富士スカウト). It is named after Mount Fuji.
Councils
The SAJ operates and maintains 48 councils, each corresponding to prefectural borders and a National Council for top-level staff and employees.
Prefectural map superimposed with two Bewick's swans (Cygnus bewickii) in flight and an apple, as Aomori Prefecture is Japan's largest producer of apples
Stylized hiragana of ふ (fu), the central design of the prefectural flag and Mount Bandai with Polaris to the right and Lake Inawashiro/Goshiki-numa-in 1924, the venue was used as a place for social education through activities conducted by the Boy Scouts of Japan, it was the first time for the royal family to participate and it was the site of the first All Japan Youth Federation Conference (少年団日本連盟大会)
Traditional housing called gassho-zukuri, as well as a bird effigy of a rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta, known as the raichō (雷鳥), which means "thunder bird", the official bird of Gifu Prefecture and is a protected species nationwide[17]
A ribbon bearing the English words "Character Health Handicraft Service" in all directions in the form of a traditional Japanese mizuhiki knot, to suggest the shape of a dove in flight, flanked by coordinates 34°23'48"N 132°27'35"E, which are the Prefectural Offices (Kencho) for Hiroshima; traditional symbols of the council include a dove symbolizing peace and the torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine
Mount Asovolcano, Kumamoto Castle signature curved stone walls, known as musha-gaeshi, as well as wooden overhangs, designed to prevent attackers from penetrating the castle, and Gentian (Gentiana scabra var. buergeri) flower
Dragon dancer and ball representing the Sun or the Moon which the dragon chases at the Nagasaki Kunchi festival's Ja-odori—when the dragon consumes the ball, the sky is dim, calling the rain clouds, carried out as a rainmaking ritual thousands of years ago in China—representing Nagasaki Chinatown
Bird effigy of a rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta, known as the raichō (雷鳥), which means "thunder bird", the official bird of Toyama Prefecture and is a protected species nationwide,[17] as well as mountains for the stylized logo based on the prefectural flag which form a rebus of Toyama representing Mount Tateyama, enclosing a tulip (Tulipa)[18] in the "o"
BenibanaSafflower (Carthamus tinctorius), cherries as Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries in Japan, and a stylized map of the prefecture
Choruru caricature in Scout beret, and amanatsu, a yellowish orange citrus hybrid fruit discovered in 1740 in Yamaguchi, and seven bitter summer mandarin (Citrus natsudaidai) blossoms representing the council's 70th anniversary in 2018
The Scout Association of Japan hosted the 13th World Scout Jamboree on the Asagiri Plateau, Shizuoka Prefecture, in 1971, and the nearly simultaneous 23rd World Scout Conference. Since then, it has hosted numerous other international activities, including the Asia Pacific Top Leaders Summit in 1997, the Asia-Pacific Multi-Purpose Workshop in 2000, and the 23rd Asia-Pacific/13th Nippon Jamboree in 2002.
Japan also hosted the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in 2015 in Yamaguchi.
An exchange program between the Scout Association of Japan and the Boy Scouts of America was started in 1998, at the suggestion of then-Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto in a 1996 meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton.[21]
^ ab悲しいメールも１通届きました 平成２９年度加盟員登録数（平成２９年５月末現在） ●加盟員（１号会員） 団 数＝ ２，０４０団（対前年度▲６２団） 加盟員数＝９９，７７９人（対前年度▲９，７４９人） （参考）４月末 加盟員９８，６７６人(対前年度▲１０，８５２人) (in Japanese), I also received one sad e-mail Number of registered members in 2017 (as of the end of May 2017) Number of members (1) Number of member groups = 2,040 groups (down 62 groups from the previous year) Number of members = 99,779 (down 9,749 compared to previous year) (Reference) 98,676 members at the end of April (down 10,852 compared to previous year)
^ abScout Association of Japan (2016-05-27). 公益財団法人 ボーイスカウト日本連盟諸規程 教育規程(PDF) (in Japanese). pp. 33–34. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2017-03-25. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
.png)
