Figure 1.--These Japanese Scouts in 1938 before World War II wear the traditional Scout hat. Notice the boy in the background wearing his school uniform with a Scout neckerchief. These Scouts were photgraphed by a visiting Hitler Youth boy. The NAZIs of course banned Scouting when they seized power in 1933. The Japnese militarists banned Scouting during World War II. The caption read, "Jong Japan in uniform". (The book is a Dutch translation.) That meant, "Young Japan in uniform." Apparently the author did not want to draw attention to the fact that the boys were Scouts--although the hats made it obvious. For information on the Hitler Youth boy who took the photograph, click on the image.

The Scout Movement reached Japan in 1913 only a few years after it was founded in England during 1907 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. The Japanese National Association was organized in Japan during 1922. Japan has since had an active if small Boy Scout movement. A Japanese Scouter writes, "Since then, despite a short disruption during World War II, the Movement has steadily grown on the social, cultural and traditional soil of our country, and established an eminent place for itself in social education for young people." Scouting was still operating in 1938 in the years leading up to World War II. Scoting has been seen by some as part of the country's modernization process. By others it was seen as a Western asault on traditional Japanese values. I believe it was banned by the Japanese militarists during World War II, although I have no information on just when this action was taken. I also do not know if there was any natioanlist group like the Hitler Youth which replaced it. After the War, however, the Japese embraced Scouting as they did all things America. The national association was re-admitted as a full member of International Conference of the Scout Movement in 1950. Scouting is currently a popular activity, although Japanese boys do not have the same amount of spare time as American boys, especially boys in secondary school.

The 1910s

The Scout Movement reached Japan in 1913 only a few years after it was founded in England during 1907 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Scouting activities during the 1910s appear to have been the operations of isolated individual troops as there was not yet any national Scout association. A troop was established in Osaka. The American Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The Yand Boy Scouts had close contacts with the Boy Scouts of America. The ready acceptance and subsequent popularity of Scouting was a part of Americanization of Japanese urban life. As in other countries, the Japanese slowly began to turn the imported Boy Scouting movemnt into a domestic youth movement which integrated domestic cultural trends. We have very limited inforation on Japanese Scouting during the 1910s, but available images show them learning how to tie knots dressed insome destinctive uniforms.

The 1920s

The Japanese National Association was organized in Japan during 1922--The Boy Scouts of Nippon (BSN). Japan has since had an active if small Boy Scout movement. A Japanese Scouter writes, "Since then, despite a short disruption during World War II, the Movement has steadily grown on the social, cultural and traditional soil of our country, and established an eminent place for itself in social education for young people." The Boy Scouts were part of the developing Progressive movement in Japan. One author describes it as a part of Trans-Pacific Progressivism. As in other countries, Scouting embraced democratic values.

The 1930s

Scouting was still operating in Japan during the 1930s in the years leading up to World War II. Scouting had been seen by some as part of the country's modernization process. By others in increasingly nationalistic Japan, it was seen when some by others as a Western asault on traditional Japanese values. The Japanese military suring the 1930s was inceasingly dominating Japanese society. One source indicates, "In the 1930s the voluntary Boy Scout organization was forced to transform itself into a militaristic association, starting with an incident at the Osaka Boy Scouts." [Fujimoto] We are not sure yet just what occurred in Osaka. Formal exchanges with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) ceased. We are not sure just how this was inforced, but it was ar a time when Aneruca public opinion began to turn against Japan bcause of the invasion of Manchura and this only worsened with invasion of China proper (1937). Despite the increasingkly strained relatiions, Trans-Pacific Japanese interest in the BSA continued. One source writes, "Observing the US treatment of minorities in a domestic colonial situation (blacks in the South) the Boy Scouts came to be utilized as a cultural agent for supporting the Japanese empire in Eastern Asia and the South Sea Islands." This of course is absured, typical left-wing attempts to blame everything, including Japanese militarism and imperialism on America. Fior one, the BSA did not have a colonial mentality. Blacks in the North were integrated into Scout troops and separate in the South, but this had nothing to do with colonialism. The Japanese needed no instruction in colonialism. They were very good at it. And the American colonial venture in conolialism had absolutely no influence on the Japanese. The United States supported democracy and self rule in the Philippines ad scheluded full indepndence. With the Japanese invasion of China (1937), Scout units engaged in activities supporting the troops.

The 1940s

We believe it was banned by the Japanese militarists during World War II, although I have no information on just when this action was taken. There was a nationalist youth movement in Japan. It was, however, nothing like the Hitler Youth movement in Axis partner Germany. Japanese intere sites about Scouting say something lke 'Sci=outing came to a halt during Workd wat II," but orovide few specific details. Because of the relstively small size of the movement and the official dicouragement, Scout played virtually no prt in the war effort.

The 1950s

After the War, however, the Japese embraced Scouting as they did all things America. The national association was re-admitted as a full member of International Conference of the Scout Movement in 1950. Scouting is currently a popular activity, although Japanese boys do not have the same amount of spare time as American boys, especially boys in secondary school.

The 1960s

The 1970s

The Japanse BSN hosted Scoutings 13TH World Jamboree in 1971.

The 1980s

The BSN accepted girls in all sections of the program (1995), becoming a fully coed organization. The BSN reported a member ship of 244,827 (1998).

The 1990s

Sources

Fujimoto, Shigeo. "Trans-Pacific Boy Scout Movement in the Early Twentieth Century: The Case of the Boy Scout Movement in Osaka, Japan" Australasian Journal of American Studies (2008) Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 29-43.