Structure of naval officer corps in modern Japan
Formation through education and examinations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15100412 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Norifumi Takeishi (School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications , 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-8585, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Science Japan Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-1465 • E-ISSN: 1468-2680 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/ssjj/jyae037 |
| OpenAlex | W4408142050 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
For Japan, a latecomer maritime nation, establishing a navy and training its officers were both necessary and obvious tasks. This study examines the structure of the naval officer corps as a professional group by analysing the processes of selection, education, and assignment. European officer corps were traditionally expected to be composed of individuals from the ‘officer-capable class’. By contrast, the Japanese navy, from its inception, prioritized ability over ascribed status. Officer candidates, therefore, underwent rigorous entrance examinations, and at the Naval Academy, cadets faced competitive testing. In the early years of the navy, class rank at graduation held little significance; however, since the 1900s, it began to strongly influence officers’ careers. Furthermore, factors such as graduation from the Naval War College also played a significant role in assignments. Academic achievement and educational background came to be interpreted as indicators of officers’ competence and professionalism, leading to the establishment of internal rankings within groups. Thus, the naval officer corps became an intricate and unstable structure, comprising both military ranks and an additional hierarchy: that of academic careerism. The ‘best officers’—those with higher graduation ranks from the academy and the college degree—who lacked awareness of the officer corps’ underlying instability, planned the Hawaii Operation and constituted the highest leadership during the Pacific War
Economics · Management · Officer · Political science · Engineering · Japanese History and Culture · Law
| Highly cited | No |
|---|