Girl Scout Day in Japan Date in the current year: May 22, 2024

The Scout movement was founded in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell, a British Army officer who used his military experience to create an educational program that would contribute to the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social development of young people.

Originally, Scouting was intended only for boys: the first Scouting handbook, published in 1908, was explicitly entitled Scouting for Boys. However, the first gathering of Scouts at the Crystal Palace in London was attended by several hundred girls in Scout uniforms, who called themselves Girl Scouts. This made Baden-Powell think about creating a similar movement for girls.

The Girl Guides organization was officially formed in the UK in 1910. It was headed by Baden-Powell’s younger sister Agnes. The movement was named after the Corps of Guides, a British Indian Army regiment that served on the North West Frontier. Female-only Scouting organizations are still called Girl Guides in some countries, while in others the girls prefer to call themselves Girl Scouts.

In 1915, Baden-Powell’s wife Olave became involved with the Girl Guides and started organizing Guiding in Sussex. In 1918, she was given the title Chief Guide (the honorary president of the Girl Guides was Mary, Princess Royal, while Agnes Baden-Powell served as the organization’s vice president).

In 1919, British missionary teacher Muriel Greenstreet introduced Girl Guiding to Japan. The movement began to spread, and the Girl Guides of Japan was officially formed in 1920. In 1928, the organization became one of the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

During World War II, the government of Japan banned Girl Guiding. The revival of the movement began about two years after the capitulation of Japan. In 1949, the organization was officially reinstated under a new name – the Girl Scouts of Japan. In 1952, it was readmitted into the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts of Japan is a member of the Association’s Asia Pacific Region.

As of 2018, there were over 28,000 Girl Scouts in Japan, aged 5 to 17. The organization’s program focuses on three major aspects: self-development, human relations, and nature. Japanese Girl Scout are engaged in activities such as working with the elderly and disabled, planting trees, participating in various environmental awareness campaigns, etc.

Girl Scout Day in Japan is celebrated annually on May 22. In 2000, a big celebration was held to commemorate the 50th founding anniversary of the Girl Scouts of Tokyo, as well as the 80th anniversary of the Japanese Girl Scouting movement. Festive events were attended by Her Highness Princess Sayako, the daughter of Emperor Akihito.