Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Music Corps

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band
陸上自衛隊中央音楽隊
	JGSDF Central Band at Camp Narashino in 2008
Active	June 1951 – present
Country	Japan
Branch	Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Type	Military band
Size	About 100 personnel
Garrison/HQ	Camp Asaka, Nerima, Tokyo
Commanders
Current; commander	Colonel Takahiro Higuchi

JGSDF Central Army Band at the JSDF Marching Festival 2012

The Music Corps (Japanese: 音楽隊, romanized: Ongakutai) is a department of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force that is tasked with presiding over military bands in the JGSDF. Similarly, the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Air Self Defense Force each have a music corps. JGSDF military bands regularly participate in international festivals and take part in national and branch-related events. It is roughly the equivalent to the Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS) in the British Army and the Music Branch (Canadian Forces).

Purpose and traditions[]

The JGSDF adopted a more western style military band, which originated in Japan during the Meiji Restoration, which saw the reform of the armed forces to the standards of Western armed services. The JGSDF's bands also carry on the practice of bugle call playing, with bugle platoons present in every unit in the JGSDF using G major bugles. As a JSDF military band, the JGSDF Central Band frequently renders honors in national and local performances, including events for honoured imperial guests and official dignitaries.^[1]^[2] It is the main sponsor for the JSDF Marching Festival.

Organization[]

The JGSDF Music Corps consists of the Central Band, five army bands, nine division bands and six brigade bands.

Central Band[]

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band (陸上自衛隊中央音楽隊 (Rikujō Jieitai Chūō Ongakutai)) or JGSDF Central Band is the premier military band of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Its more senior activities consist of national ceremonies, military parades, and symphonic concerts taking place in the capital of Tokyo Metropolis. It also performs at events that also includes joint service concerts alongside other Japanese military bands such as the Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces Central Bands. The Central Band also presides over all military bands of the Ground Self-Defense Force and is modeled on its military counterparts in the United States and the United Kingdom. The band is a directly reporting unit of the Ministry of Defense.

History[]

The band in Russia in 2019.

The JGSDF Band was created in the summer of 1951 under the as part of the National Police Reserve (formerly the National Safety Force), the predecessor agency of the JGSDF. With the NPR only being an armed national police force rather than a national military, the JGSDF Band was the first military band to form in modern Japan. Its history is rooted in the long heritage of Japanese military music, and more specifically the Imperial Japanese Army Band beginning in the 1880s. In the last half-century, the JGSDF Band has gained the nobility of being the senior most ground force and self-defence force wind band, serving as one of many ceremonial military and paramilitary units that serve the Emperor and the Imperial Family during state visits and other official functions.^[5] Musicians of the band have since 2015 taught personnel of the Papua New Guinea Defence Forces Band.^[6] It participated in the 2019 edition of the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo.^[7]

Awards and honours[]

April 2008 – The JGSDF Central Band was honoured by the Japanese Musical Education and Culture Promotion Society with the 18th Academy Award of Band Performance
2009 – The Central Band was awarded the George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands from the John Philip Sousa Foundation.^[8]
2015 – Letter of acknowledgment by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
August 2017 – During the 2017 Royal Edinburgh Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, the Central Band was awarded the Polly Sword, the award to the best-performing band in the tattoo.^[4]

Army bands[]

Northern Army Band (Camp Makomanai, Sapporo, Hokkaido)
North Eastern Army Band (Camp Sendai, Sendai, Miyagi)
Eastern Army Band (Camp Asaka, Nerima, Tokyo)
Central Army Band (Camp Itami, Itami, Hyōgo)
Western Army Band (Camp Kengun, Kumamoto, Kumamoto)

Division bands and brigade bands[]

15th Band and the USMC III MEF Band

1st Band (), a part of the 1st Division
2nd Band (Asahikawa Air Field, Hokkaido), a part of the 2nd Division
3rd Band (), a part of the 3rd Division
4th Band (), a part of the 4th Division
5th Band (Tokachi Airfield, Obihiro, Hokkaido), a part of the 5th Brigade
6th Band (), a part of the 6th Division
7th Band (), a part of the 7th Division
8th Band (), a part of the 8th Division
9th Band (), a part of the 9th Division
10th Band (), a part of the 10th Division
11th Band (), a part of the 11th Brigade
12th Band (), a part of the 12th Brigade
13th Band (), a part of the 13th Brigade
14th Band (), a part of the 14th Brigade
15th Band (), a part of the 15th Brigade

Gallery of bands[]

Eastern Army Band at Camp Asaka in 2008
Eastern Army Band at JSDF Marching Festival 2012
The Central Band inspected by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya
The Central Band in Korea in 2011
North Eastern Army Band in their camaflouge uniform
North Eastern Army Band playing for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami evacuees