Sano Tsuneha

Infobox Military Person
name= Count Tsuneha Sano
lived=3 July 1871 - 25 January 1956 [Nishida, Imperial Japanese Navy ]
placeofbirth=Tokyo, Japan
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=navy|Empire of Japan
serviceyears=1891-1920
rank=Rear admiral
commands="Tsugaru", "Haruna"
unit=
battles=Boxer Rebellion
Russo-Japanese War
World War I
awards=
family=
laterwork=

Count nihongo|Tsuneha Sano|佐野常羽|Sano Tsuneha|extra=3 July 1871 - 25 January 1956 was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. He is also noted for his association with the early Scouting movement in Japan.

Biography

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 training on the "Hiei", "Musashi", and the cruiser "Itsukushima". On commissioning to sub-lieutenant, he was assigned to the cruisers "Naniwa", "Matsushima", corvette "Kohei", and the cruisers "Saien", "Tatsuta". After his promotion to lieutenant in 1897, he was sent to southern China during the height of the Boxer Rebellion of 1900-1901. On his return to Japan, he served on the "Izumo" and "Asama".

On the death of his father on 26 December 1902, he succeeded to the title of Count ("Hakushaku"). From 1903-1904, he served as chief gunnery officer on the "Izumi".

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 to the submarine tender "Toyohashi" in 1908. Promoted to commander 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.

With the outbreak of World War I, Sano returned to Japan to assume command of the cruiser "Tsugaru". In 1917, he became captain of the battleship "Haruna". He was promoted to rear admiral on 1 December 1919. Sano went into the reserves from August 1920.

In 1924, Japan fielded a full contingent of 25 to the 2nd World Scout Jamboree 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, called "Jisshu-sho", for both Cub and Scout leaders, which 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 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 Scouting Association of Japan" in 1954, and was given the highest award of the NSAJ, the "Kijishō", in 1955.

Sano died in 1956.

References

*Japanese Wikipedia

External links

*cite web
last=Nishida
first=Hiroshi
url=http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/px18.htm#r002
title=Imperial Japanese Navy
accessdate=2007-08-25