Imperial Japanese Army Academy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Imperial Japanese Army Academy (陸軍士官学校 Rikugun Shikan Gakko ?) was the principal officer’s training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. Established as the Heigakko in 1868 in Kyoto, it was renamed the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1874 and relocated to Ichigaya in Tokyo. The program consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course for officer candidates.
After 1898, Academy came under the supervision of the Army Education Administration. In 1937, the Academy was divided, with the Senior Course Academy was relocated to Sagamihara in Kanagawa prefecture in 1937 and was physically located where the United States Army base of Camp Zama is now located, and the Junior Course School moved to Asaka, Saitama. In 1938, a separate school was established for military aviation officers.
The 50th graduation ceremony was held in the new Academy buildings in Sagamihara on 20 December 1937, and was attended by Emperor Showa.
Not all of the students at the Academy were Japanese. For example, one of its more famous graduates was Chiang Kai-shek.
The Academy was abolished at the end of World War II along with the Imperial Japanese Army. Currently the corresponding institution is the Japan National Defense Academy.
