Count was a Japanese

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War I. He is also noted for his association with the early

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

movement in Japan.

Biography

Early years

Sano was born in the Kōjimachi district of Tokyo. His father, Count Sano Tsunetami, was the founder of the Japanese Red Cross Society. Sano was a graduate of the 18th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1891. He was ranked 20th in a class of 61 cadets. Sano performed his

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

training on the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

s and , and the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

. On commissioning to sub-lieutenant, he was assigned to the corvette and cruisers , , and . After his promotion to lieutenant in 1897, he was sent to southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

during the height of the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

of 1900-1901. On his return to Japan, he served on the cruisers and .

Count

On the death of his father on 26 December 1902, he succeeded to the title of count (''hakushaku'') in the '' kazoku'' peerage. From 1903-1904, he served as chief gunnery officer on the cruiser . Following Sano's promotion to lieutenant commander in 1904, he was assigned as aide-de-camp to Prince Yamashina Kikumaro for the duration of the Russo-Japanese War. After the war, he served in a number of staff positions, and was assigned as

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

to the submarine tender ''Toyohashi'' in 1908. Promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in 1908, he was appointed naval attaché to Germany from 1911-1914. While living in Germany, Sano made frequent trips to England, where he became acquainted with the

Scouting movement Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

World War I

With the outbreak of World War I, Sano returned to Japan to assume command of the cruiser ''Tsugaru''. From 1916-1917, he was the

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the

Chinkai Guard District The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in Korea under Japanese rule before and during World War II. Located in southern Korea (at present-day Jinhae, Republic of Korea, ), the Chinkai Guard District was responsible for control ...

in Korea. In 1917, he became

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

. He was promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

on 1 December 1919. Sano went into the reserves from August 1920.

Scout Jamboree

In 1924, Japan fielded a full contingent of 25 to the

2nd World Scout Jamboree The 2nd World Scout Jamboree was held from August 9 to 17, 1924 and was hosted by Denmark at Ermelunden. Prologue Great Britain held an Imperial Jamboree at Wembley, Middlesex at the beginning of August 1924, in connection with the British Empi ...

in Denmark. Sano was a participant, during which time he attended a Wood Badge course at Gilwell Park, marking the watershed for the first period of Japanese Scouting. Sano returned to Japan and created Japan's own training course at Lake Yamanaka, near the base of

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...

, called ''Jisshu-sho'', for both Cub and Scout leaders. The course is still used to this day, after completion of two preliminary courses, ''Koshu-kai'' and ''Kenshu-kai''. Sano then attended the

3rd World Scout Jamboree The 3rd World Scout Jamboree was held in 1929 at Arrowe Park in Upton, near Birkenhead, Wirral, United Kingdom. As it was commemorating the 21st birthday of ''Scouting for Boys'' and the Scouting movement, it is also known as the Coming of Age ...

in the United Kingdom, and received the Silver Wolf award from Baden-Powell in 1931. The only other person to receive the Silver Wolf in Japan was Emperor Shōwa. Sano was given the title of "Elder" by the ''National Scout Association of Japan'' in 1954, and was given the highest award of the NSAJ, the ''

Kijishō The is the highest award for adult leaders in the Scout Association of Japan. It is awarded by the Chief Scout of Japan, awarded for eminent achievement and meritorious service to the Association for a period of at least twenty years. It may be a ...

'', in 1955.

Death

Sano died in 1956.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sano, Tsuneha Scouting in Japan 1871 births 1956 deaths People from Chiyoda, Tokyo People from Tokyo Imperial Japanese Navy admirals Japanese military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion Japanese military personnel of World War I Kazoku Scouting pioneers