Japanese Youth Group Uniforms


Figure 1.--This 1967 photograph shows a Japanese Scout with his family. Father and daughter are dressed Western-style, ready for work. Mother, who stays at home, wears her kimono.

The only uniformed youth movement in Japan that HBU is familar with is Scouting. couting was not the first Japanese youth group. Reformers established the Seinen Dan in 1880 to promote social activities for youth in the new modernizing Japan. HBU has not been able to acquire information on such groups. Nor do we have information available on what happened to the Scouting movement in Japan during World War II. Today in Japan, the Scouts are the only youth movement known to the authors. In fact, the demanding Japanese educational system leaves little time for activities outside school. While Scouting is the only group with which we are familar, it is a relastively small group. Few Japanese boys participate in the movement.

Scouting

The only uniformed youth movement in Japan that HBU is familar with is Scouting. We have little informaion on the early Japanse Scouting movement. Nor do we have information available on what happened to the Scouting movement in Japan during World War II. Today in Japan, the Scouts are the only youth movement known to the authors. In fact, the demanding Japanese educational system leaves little time for activities outside school. While Scouting is the only group with which we are familiar, it is a relastively small group. Few Japanese boys participate in the movement.

Nationalist Groups

Scouting was not the first Japanese youth group. Reformers established the Seinen Dan in 1880 to promote social activities for youth in the new modernizing Japan. I do not know much about it. I think it was not political, and it aimed to assist young people adjust in mind and manner to rapidly changing new circumstances of the post Meiji-Ishin (Meiji Restoration). Right wing nationalist groups promoted the Seinen Dan during the 1920s-30s, but it never development into the powerful, comprehensive nationalist youth movement like the Hitler Youth in Germany. Scouting which was a realtively small movement was supressed during World War II. HBU has little information on Seinen Dan, but believes it was suppresed after World War II. Today in Japan, the Scouts are the only youth movement known to the authors. The demanding Japanese educational system, however, leaves children little time for extra-curruicular activities.

Unidentified Groups

Here we have youth group images that we can not yet idetify. Hopefully our Japanese readers will be able to identify the youth groups involved. The Scout images are usually easy to identify, but we know very little at this time about other youth groups.






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Created: August 30, 2003
Last updated: 4:43 AM 10/28/2005