The title is a bit misleading, but serves our purposes as a starting point. First I want to bring up that I am an Eagle Scout in the “Boy Scouts of America” and strongly believe in the values, skills and life lessons I have learned in Boy Scouts having been in it for almost 20 years now. Now that you have a bit of perspective of why I am writing this lets look a bit into “what” scouting is about.
What is Scouting
If scouts could be summed up in a couple a few sentences I would have to say it is a program that offers youth an opportunity to learn about the world and interact with others from people their own age to adults. Skills in outdoors, communications, and leadership are developed over several years of interaction with all types of people and through the school of hard knocks. It helps prepare young people to better prepare themselves for the future by presenting similar situations to them that they would come up against later in life.
To illustrate how Scouting can better prepare you for the future i’d like to call on a personal example instead of trying to rely on some abstract explanation. In scouting you must serve in a leadership role be-it a small group or the whole group. I served a few terms as the senior youth leader in which I had to plan and run the meetings and delegate accordingly. This involved more paper work and co-ordination than anything else. I had to make sure I found who could do what and helped to co-ordinate so they could do what they needed, usually teaching something. This is not unlike running a company you spend more time doing administrative tasks over what your business actually does.
So how has this helped me for the future. Well the easiest example would be that I am currently helping to start a Japanese Language Club at my local college and it is mostly paperwork and coordinating with people to make sure we are doing things right. I can easily step into this role and fulfill it because of the direct benefits of Scouting.
Hopefully that helps you gauge an idea of the benefits of scouting. So lets move on.
History of Scouting in Japan
Pre-World War II
The first Boy Scout Troop was formed in Japan in 1909 at a school, but quickly disappeared when the teacher left that school. Many more troops sprang up here and there accross japan for the next 13 years, but there was no real guiding force behind them. In 1922 Boy Scouts of Japan was officially formed and became a true organization. Scouting in Japan came to be noticed by the public after the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923 when Scouts help to rebuild, and the statesman who was incharge of the rebuilding process was able to bring word of Boy Scouts to the general public during his travels around Japan.
World War II
Scouting almost died during World War II and shortly there after during the occupation as former military personal were scrutinzed and not given much lee-way in what they could do. Later though things relaxed and Scouting flourished in Japan once more with membership growing to 80,000 members in only a few short years.
Today
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.
Earlier I said the title was a bit misleading. I say that because Boy Scouts of Japan re-named to Scout Association of Japan, and abbreviated as SAJ. SAJ then opened the doors to the girls/female youth in all Sections in 1995.
Structure of Scouting Program in Japan
The United States as 3 sections to it. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturing, with venturing being a bit of a side thing more than an integral part. However the SAJ has 5 parts to it.
| Beaver | Ages 6 – 8 | ビーバースカウト |
| Cub | Ages 8 – 11 | カブスカウト |
| Scout | Ages 11 – 14 | ボーイスカウト |
| Venture | Ages 14 – 19 | ベンチャースカウト |
| Rover | Ages 18 – 24 | ローバースカウト |
Beaver Scouts
This is for the youngest group. It mostly exists to form new relationships with others and have fun learning basic skills and team work. A couple of activities might be basic arts and crafts to visiting the zoo with fellow Beaver’s.
Cub Scouts
Cub Scouts is for the bit more mature so might extend activities to include more complex arts and crafts along with camping skills at a basic level and start to introduce them to things they will come accross in Boy Scouts.
Boy Scouts
At this point the scout has a basic understanding of camping skills and other related skills along with the ability to participate and accomplish things with others. So now starts the path of learning leadership and further develop camping skills beyond setting up a tent and eating.
Venture
This is more advanced part of scouting where you will take everything you have learned and usually start to lead larger groups of people in various activities as you work towards Fuji Scout. You learn to deal with all kinds of people as by this age many people have matured to a point where attitudes are easily distinguishable. Along with all this you will probably start participating in activities going beyond just camping in the woods from white watering kayaking to Extended Backpacking trips, or even Mountain Climbing, via cliff faces.
At this level you work towards Fuji Scout which is the highest rank in SAJ equivalent to Eagle Scout in the United States. As I understand it not many Scouters are able to earn the rank of Fuji Scout much like the rank of Eagle where only 2% of all total scouts earn Eagle Scout. I read somewhere that as of 1998 only 3000 people had earned Fuji Scout. I was unable to find information that I could read regarding total numbers of scouts in Japan.
Rover
This level is a personal growth section where one grows through service to scouting, their family, and their community.
Scout Motto, Promise/Oath, and laws
The scouting program in Japan is broken up into 2 distinct parts. Cub Scouts and “Regular Scouts”. Cub scouts are your elementary age kids (Beaver and Cub) while Regular Scouts are Middle School to High School aged (Scout, Venture and Rover). Each level has a motto which is something that is quick and meaningful that you should try to do everyday. The promise, or oath, which is something that you will strive to do in life. And laws which you should follow to be the best you can. I’ll list these now.
Scouts
Motto
- Be prepared
Promise
- On my honor, I promise I will do my best to do my duty to God/Buddha and the country, and to obey the Scout Laws, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
Laws
- A Scout is
- Faithful
- Friendly
- Courteous
- Kind
- Cheerful
- Thrifty
- Courageous
- Thankful
Cub Scouts
Motto
- Always, Be in High Spirits
Promise
- I promise to behave honestly and steadily, and to follow the pack laws
Pack Laws
- Cub Scouts
- Obey
- Look After Themselves
- Work Together
- Help Younger Ones
- Do Good Deeds
Ranks
Each rank builds on each other and are merit based. You must earn the ranks they are not awarded based on age. Here they are in order.
- Tenderfoot (Tenderfoot)
- 2nd Class (Ni-kyu)
- 1st Class (Ikkyu)
- Chrysanthemum (kiku)
- Fuji Scout (Comparable to Eagle Scout)
Noteable Scouts
- Ryutaro Hashimoto, the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan
- Yukio Hattori, the fifth president of the Hattori Nutrition College, commentator on the Japanese cooking competition program Iron Chef
- Soichi Noguchi, Japanese astronaut
- Makoto Raiku, mangaka (Zatch Bell!)
Conclusion
There is much much much more detail I could go into, but I think this is a good overview to go beyond the general boy scouting is for youth explanation. The basic structure and purpose is important to understand to really understand what scouting is about. There is one thing to remember though, at the end of the day beyond all the politics beyond all the bickering that may happen; at the end of they Scouting is about one thing and one thing only helping the youth of today become good responsible adults in the future. That is a truly noble and great goal for all.
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Interesting. I too am an Eagle Scout and have always noticed random groups of scouts around Japan. Its interesting to learn about the differences.
What always strikes me as interesting is that in the rest of the world there is just ‘Scouts’, but in the US we have ‘Boy’ and ‘Girl’ Scouts. Always keeping the two separate. Its shame because Girl Scouts always gets the shaft when to comes to resources, facilities, and community support. Plus, lets be honest, they do less fun stuff.
I wont go into that topic on here as I have very strong opinions on it, but I understand what you mean. I will say though they can join Venture Scouts and get to do all the fun stuff and be under the Boy Scout legal umbrella for all those fun activities.
My husband is an Eagle Scout too, and was a bit shocked when he took our son to a few Beaver Scout meetings here in Japan. My son had fun but it was mostly the kids running around and the parents chatting. Originally the girl scouts wanted him (most people mistake him for a girl), but when they found out he was a boy they informed me I had to get to work on birthing a girl. o.O
Hello! I´m a mexican scout, I mean I´m a Rover, I like your coment about the scouts of Japan, I want to stay in touch with you by e-mail, congratulation scout brothers & sisters.
The best for all of you in this new year.
you get a grip of left hand from Mexico
bye, see you soon
Hello! I was also an Eagle Scout and have been active in Scouts for many years.
Interesting article but, of course, it’s always difficult to include everything in a short piece.
I thought I would mention that next year (2011) will be the 100th anniversary of the first officially recognized Boy Scout Troop in Japan.
In 1911 Clarence Griffin formed a Troop in Yokohama composed of boys from the local international school, St. Joseph College, and in 1912 the group was registered with the British Scout Association. The group also greeted B-P on his 1912 stay in Japan and B-P passed Mr. Griffin his Scouter Warrant personally. As only British boy could “officially” participate in the Troop, and the international school had boys of many more nationalities, a leader at the school, Joseph Janning, had discussed the situation with B-P and a charter for the Troop to accept “mixed nationalities” was issued by B-P and the World Bureau and the Troop became the world’s first “International Boy Scout Troop”.
Clarence Griffin is buried in Yokohama at the Foreign Cemetery and a marker has been placed on his grave by the SAJ recognizing Mr. Griffin as Japan’s First Scoutmaster. The International Boy Scout Troop 1 is still active in Yokohama and has been so since it’s formation, including the time after the Great Earthquake and even throughout the war years! One of the active leaders of the International group actually arrived in Japan just after the War and was active in post-war reorganization of the Japanese Scouts. John Mittwer, another notable member of the group was a Scout in the group both before and after it was recognized as a direct-charter International group. After the War he became a director in the BSN Kanagawa group and organized the first post-war reorganization camp for the Japanese Scouts in Kanagawa.
Does Japan have an Order of the Arrow relating to the Ainu just as the U.S. relates to the Native Americans?
Not that I am aware of.