**Chindai** ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: 鎮台, chindai[\*]) was a unit of organization of the [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]] that lasted for 17 years from 1871 to 1888. It was abolished when it was reorganized into [[Division (military)|divisions]]. It was the largest permanently established unit. As a military system, it succeeded the [[Goshin-hei]], and with the establishment of the chindai and the subsequent implementation of [[conscription]], the modern army of Japan began.

## Overview

The chindai was an army organization adapted from the [[Dutch Army]]. Initially, the role of the Japanese Army was not foreign conquest but the maintenance of domestic order after the [[Boshin War]]. Accordingly, the chindai, organized only in peacetime, was to be temporarily reorganized into [[brigades]] (from the 18th year of Meiji, [[Division (military)|divisions]]) in wartime, as chindai alone would have lacked mobility.

First, the [[Dajōkan]] declared that chindai would be established throughout the country in the future, and on 10 June 1871 ordered the establishment of two chindai: the Tōsandō Chindai in the present-day Tōhoku region (headquarters at Ishinomaki, branch offices at Fukushima and Morioka), and the Saikaidō Chindai in the present-day Kyushu region (headquarters at Kokura, branch offices at Hakata and Hita). However, only the Saikaidō Chindai was actually organized. On 14 July of the same year, the whole country was brought under direct control of the [[Meiji government]] by the [[Abolition of the han system|Abolition of the Han System]], and at the same time a concept of five chindai systems—Hokkaido, Ishinomaki, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kokura—was presented, with the Ministry of War directly controlling them.[^1] However, in Hokkaido, whose population was extremely small compared with other regions, the establishment of chindai was put on hold. As a result, on 4 October of that year, the two former chindai were abolished and four chindai were established as follows.[^1]

-   Tohoku Chindai ([[Sendai]])
-   Tokyo Chindai
-   Osaka Chindai
-   Kyushu Chindai ([[Kumamoto]])

The chindai at this time were organized from those converted from the goshin-hei and volunteers from the samurai class. The remaining standing forces of each han were disarmed.[^1]

In 1873, two more chindai were added, dividing the areas excluding Hokkaido into six military districts and fourteen recruiting districts. In the military districts, barracks were established within the jurisdictional areas of the chindai divisions.

## Notes

### Sources

-   外山操; 森松俊夫 (1987). 《帝国陸軍編制総覧》. 芙蓉書房出版.

## Notes

[^1]: [『新修 大津市史』5 近代 第1章 近代大津の出発](http://www.furuyatetuo.com/bunken/b/54_hohei9/1_1.html) (by [[University of Tokyo Institute for Advanced Studies|Institute of Humanities, University of Tokyo]] former professor [[Tetsuo Furuya]], July 1982)