The beginning of the Toyama Military School is said to be the establishment of the Toyama Branch of Army Cadet School in June 1873, which was built at the site of one of the former town residences of the daimyo of Owari-han, in present day Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. In February the following year, it was renamed to Toyama Gakko (Toyama School) of officer training for Imperial Japanese Army. To ensure the rapid modernization of the army, the Minister of Military Affairs designed the new post-Tokugawa army after the French model; French officers were engaged to staff the academies and oversee the training. After France lost the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, the Vice Minister of Military Affairs, Yamagata Aritomo (later Prime Minister from 1889-91; and 1898-1900) wanted to adopt the Prussian military system; however, because of the conservative nature of the Ministry, he was not able to effect the change until 1878, after becoming the Minister of Military Affairs. The mission of the Toyama Academy eventually changed as time progressed. In 1874, the training of officers went to the Rikugun Shikan Gakko (Army Officers Academy); the Toyama School became the army's physical training school, as well as the home for the Army School of Music
In a booklet with the history of the Toyama Military School published in late December 1907, Ota Tasuku, an Imperial Army Infantry Staff Sergeant, wrote the following (excerption);
- Establishment of the School: the School was established in August 1873 and started enrolling students and administering school affairs from the 20th of the same month.
- Due to the abolition of cadet schools in May 1875, the school became army school directly under the Ministry of War.
- Due to the regulatory changes that came into effect on 2 January 1897, the School, which had been overseen by the Kangun-bu department, came under the Sokan-bu department in the military and continues to be so today.
- From 1873 to 1884, specialist French officers were employed as teachers for physical training, shooting, and sword fighting.
- Intention of establishing the school: It was an urgent requirement when establishing the Imperial Japanese Army to pursue learning in order to unify the education of the whole armed force. It is especially important to learn about the situation of the fast moving military affairs of foreign countries in order to progress in tandem with them. In order to do so, it is essential to train the officers based on the same curriculum so that a trained officer could return to his regiment with the knowledge to disseminate in order to assure even progress. That is the intention of establishing the school.
- Later in 1903, an Imperial decree was issued defining the Toyama Military School to be that of providing military education and mainly infantry training in battle strategy, shooting, physical exercise, sword fighting, and drum and bugle in order to advance the whole army, to promote continuous research, to study and test portable firearms, and in the case of music students to be the future members of the military band.
- The present academy has the following departments;
o Battle tactics (including former shooting section)
o Administration
o Physical training (including former sword fighting section)
o Military Band
- The academy enrolls four types of students;
o Students of battle tactics: infantry captains (sometimes including heavy artillery
engineering officers)
o Students of physical training: infantry, cavalry, and artillery first and second
lieutenants
o Students of military band: to be chosen from civilian candidates nationwide
o Auditors: infantry, cavalry, and artillery solders and the head of the buglers
In a booklet with the history of the Toyama Military School published in late December 1907, Ota Tasuku, an Imperial Army Infantry Staff Sergeant, wrote the following (excerption);
- Establishment of the School: the School was established in August 1873 and started enrolling students and administering school affairs from the 20th of the same month.
- Due to the abolition of cadet schools in May 1875, the school became army school directly under the Ministry of War.
- Due to the regulatory changes that came into effect on 2 January 1897, the School, which had been overseen by the Kangun-bu department, came under the Sokan-bu department in the military and continues to be so today.
- From 1873 to 1884, specialist French officers were employed as teachers for physical training, shooting, and sword fighting.
- Intention of establishing the school: It was an urgent requirement when establishing the Imperial Japanese Army to pursue learning in order to unify the education of the whole armed force. It is especially important to learn about the situation of the fast moving military affairs of foreign countries in order to progress in tandem with them. In order to do so, it is essential to train the officers based on the same curriculum so that a trained officer could return to his regiment with the knowledge to disseminate in order to assure even progress. That is the intention of establishing the school.
- Later in 1903, an Imperial decree was issued defining the Toyama Military School to be that of providing military education and mainly infantry training in battle strategy, shooting, physical exercise, sword fighting, and drum and bugle in order to advance the whole army, to promote continuous research, to study and test portable firearms, and in the case of music students to be the future members of the military band.
- The present academy has the following departments;
o Battle tactics (including former shooting section)
o Administration
o Physical training (including former sword fighting section)
o Military Band
- The academy enrolls four types of students;
o Students of battle tactics: infantry captains (sometimes including heavy artillery
engineering officers)
o Students of physical training: infantry, cavalry, and artillery first and second
lieutenants
o Students of military band: to be chosen from civilian candidates nationwide
o Auditors: infantry, cavalry, and artillery solders and the head of the buglers
Toyama Army School was closed in 1945.
Reverse
陸軍戸山学校 - Army Toyama School
卒業記念 - Graduation Commemorative
昭和十七年度 - 1942