June 29, 2021
The year 2021 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of national armed forces by the Meiji Government. In 1871, the Meiji Government first created armed forces under the government control by unifying armed groups which had previously been organized by feudal domains. The Meiji Government also divided the country into several regions and established army garrisons for each region. In 1871, the Meiji Government also created the departments of Army and Navy within the Ministry of War.
On this occasion, we compiled a collection of terms related to the Imperial Army of Japan by focusing on the Meiji and Taisho periods. It covers the formation of Japan’s modern military, the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the Siberian Intervention. It is our hope that this new collection of JACAR Glossary will help you better understand the history of the Japanese army. Please note that this new collection does not cover the Showa era.