The Imperial Japanese Navy

Executive.

Theoretically, the Imperial Japanese Navy is a democratic institution; actually, it is no more so than the British Army. All classes are eligible for commissions, but, owing to the low rate of pay, only those with some private means care much to become officers. Eighty-five per cent. or so belong to the old fighting class, the Samaurai.

The regulations as to the entry of cadets are as follows:—

They must be between the ages of 16 and 19. On the day appointed they must present themselves for a physical examination, and about 33 per cent. fail to satisfy the medical board in this respect. The remainder are then entered for a competitive examination in the following subjects:—

• Japanese literature.
• Chinese literature.
• English grammar.
• ”   dictation.
• English conversation.
• ”    translation (English to Japanese
• and Japanese to English).
• Arithmetic.
• Algebra.
• Plain trigonometry.
• Elementary geometry.
• History (of the world).
• Geography.
• Elementary physics.
• Very elementary chemistry.
• Freehand drawing.

Competition is severe; for each vacancy there are about five competitors; consequently, of those that originally enter only about 15 per cent. become ko-hoshi (naval cadets).

The successful competitors are sent to the Naval College at Yetajima, near Kuré (pronounced Kōūrā), where they remain three years, at the entire expense of the Government nominally, but generally costing something to their relatives.

Here they go through a very extensive course, which, in addition to a number of subjects not specified here, includes:—

• Seamanship,
• Gunnery,
• Torpedo,
• Navigation,
• Field drill,
• Physics,
• Chemistry,
• Mechanical engineering (elementary),
• English,

There is a feeling in Japan that this curriculum is rather too liberal for the time allowed.

Some gunboats are attached to the college, and in these classes of the cadets go out for a day or two’s practical instruction now and again; speaking generally, however, the three years are shore-service.

After the three years at college a cadet becomes a sho-i ko-hoshé (midshipman), and is sent to sea for one year in a training ship (masted), drawing a trifling pay.

At the expiration of this period, when between the ages of twenty to twenty-three, the midshipmen enter for a technical pass-examination for sho-i (second-class sub-lieutenant). If he fails (as a proportion do) he is put back six months. He then has a second try. If he fails in this attempt his services are dispensed with for good and all.

Passed midshipmen become sub-lieutenants, not by virtue of the examination only, but in order of seniority obtained in the examination, and as vacancies occur.

As sub-lieutenants they leave examinations behind them, but they have to write essays on naval subjects. According to how the sho-i does in these, he passes up through into the higher class of sub-lieutenants. The best take about one year to become a tchu-i (first-class sub-lieutenant), the worst take much longer.

After two years’ service as first-class sub-lieutenant a tchu-i is eligible for promotion to taï-i (lieutenant).

Promotion is entirely by selection in this and all senior ranks. The very youngest age at which an officer can become a taï-i is twenty-three. Twenty-four to twenty-five is nearer the average. A non-promoted tchu-i is compulsorily retired at the age of forty-two; but there are none so old as that.

After eight years’ service a taï-i is eligible for promotion (by selection entirely) to lieutenant-commander. Thirty-one is the youngest age for this. Lieutenant-commander is a distinct rank, intermediate between lieutenant and commander. Its holder is entitled to the courtesy rank of “captain,” and officially so addressed. In command of a small ship he is a scho-sa; serving in a big ship he is a hojutsho (gunnery lieutenant), suirisho (torpedo lieutenant) or a kokisho (navigator).

A lieutenant-commander is selected for tchu-sa (commander) without any definite service time.

Thence, still entirely by selection he can pass on upwards through the usual higher grades of captain, rear-admiral, and vice-admiral (kan-cho, scho-sho, and tucho). The average age at which an officer becomes a scho-cho (rear-admiral) is forty-five. The retiring age is sixty-five, but comparatively few live so long.

To be selected for taï-sho (admiral), a tucho must have been in command of a fleet two years, and, further, have been so in actual war.

A higher nominal rank still exists of admiral of the fleet—destined for a full admiral who has had meritorious war service in that rank; but there are none at present.

Engineers.

An officer enters for a kika-no (engineer) by competitive examination identical with that for those of military rank already described.

Those who pass are sent to Yokosuka, where they spend four years training in the technique of their profession. After that they join ships, having equivalent rank with, but after, the military branch, according to the table on a later page.

Engineers in the Japanese Navy have power to punish their own men, being executive in their own department. They are not, however, granted military titles.

Doctors.

A doctor (quini) is now a civilian who has a fancy for the sea-service. Like engineers, doctors have equivalent rank with, but after, the corresponding military branch, and are eligible for pensions after twenty years’ service.

Paymasters.

A paymaster (shukei) is also a civilian, entered as doctors are, and serving under the same conditions.

Constructors.

The constructor (losin-sokun) enters by competitive examination much as executive and engineers do. After passing he is attached to a dockyard, and then sent abroad, usually to England, to learn more than he can acquire in Japanese dockyards, where only small ships are built as yet. A constructor has equivalent rank with the executive, just like the other non-military branches. All these branches at times use for themselves a military title; thus, taï-i-kikano (lieutenant-engineer) or taï-i-losin-sokun (lieutenant-constructor); but the military branch being, naturally enough, jealous of their titles, the prefix is non-official, and never applied to civil branches by the executive. Of the civil branches, constructors most often get the military title, and in the dockyards are always addressed by the employés as taï-i, houk-cho, or kan-cho, without the word constructor at all. In the British Navy, of course, constructors are almost as entirely civil a profession as Admiralty clerks, and are absolutely unknown to naval officers afloat; but in the Japanese Navy the tie is closer, and every officer knows them.

JAPANESE NAVAL TITLES WITH
ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS

To follow French pronunciation is a tolerably safe guide.

The system under which the Japanese name their deck officers is extremely simple. They are divided into three groups—big, medium, and little. For each of the three grades in these groups there are three similar prefixes—taï-, tchū-,[29] and shŏ-. The affix is the same for all grades in each group, -shō for the big, -sá for the medium, and -i for the lowest.

Thus they get:—

The various ranks, with the corresponding English equivalents, are as follows, working upwards:—

In addition, there are the following branches of lieutenant-commanders:—

which means principal officer connected with guns, torpedo, or navigation, as the case may be.

As for the other branches:—

The affix kwan (pronounced “kuàrn”) denotes junior rank, and is equivalent to our “assistant.” Tdi-kikansh is also “assistant-engineer,” while the chief of any ship is kikan-sho.

The ordinary warrant officer is known as a juin’shi-kwan (“jivēntsh kuàrn”).