Former 11th Division Headquarters (Nogi Museum), Zentsuji

The former 11th Division Headquarters (旧陸軍第十一師団司令部, Kyū Rikugun Dai-jūichi Shidan Shireibu) stands within JGSDF Camp Zentsuji in Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture. It is Shikoku's sole divisional command center from the Imperial Japanese Army era, and its surviving Meiji-era military campus — comprising the headquarters building, red-brick armories, barracks, and the adjacent Kaikosha officers' club — forms one of the most complete ensembles of original Meiji military architecture in Japan, none of which has been relocated.

Establishment and Architecture (1898)

The 11th Division was one of six new divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), with a recruitment area spanning all four Shikoku prefectures: Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime, and Kochi. On 1 October 1898, the division received its colors and established its headquarters in Zentsuji, a town chosen for its central location in Shikoku and proximity to railway connections.

The headquarters building, completed in October 1898, is a Renaissance-style Western structure featuring plastered exterior walls and a hipped-and-gabled (入母屋造) tile roof. A porte-cochère (車寄せ) was added in 1922 (Taisho 11) to commemorate a visit by Crown Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Showa). The interior preserves the original wooden staircase with decorative railings and blue stained-glass windows, along with an arcaded corridor. A large wooden star emblem — the symbol of the Imperial Japanese Army — remains mounted on the roof.

Surrounding the headquarters, three massive red-brick armory warehouses (兵器部倉庫) were constructed between the late Meiji and Taisho periods (c. 1909–1921), reportedly designed by German engineers. These imposing structures, arranged in a radiating pattern, still stand alongside the headquarters and are actively used for storage by the JGSDF.

General Nogi Maresuke: First Divisional Commander (1898–1901)

Lieutenant General Nogi Maresuke (乃木希典), revered as the "mirror of military officers" (軍人の鑑) alongside Admiral Togo Heihachiro, served as the first commander of the 11th Division from its establishment in 1898 until 1901. His personal quarters on the second floor of the headquarters are preserved as a memorial room. The building is named "Nogi Hall" (乃木館) in his honor.

Military Campaigns

Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

The 11th Division was incorporated into the Third Army under General Nogi and fought in the protracted and bloody Siege of Port Arthur. Subsequently transferred to General Kawamura Kageaki's Yalu River Army, it participated in the decisive Battle of Mukden.

Return to Zentsuji (1911)

On 7 May 1911, the division headquarters formally relocated back to Zentsuji from its post-Russo-Japanese War positions, cementing the town's identity as a garrison city.

Second Sino-Japanese War and Manchuria (1937–1941)

In August 1937 the 11th Division landed near Shanghai and fought in the Second Battle of Shanghai, returning home in March 1938. In September 1938 it was sent to Manchuria, where it was stationed around Mishan under the Fifth Army, tasked with anti-Soviet preparedness and counter-partisan operations.

Pacific War and Homeland Defense (1941–1945)

With the outbreak of the Pacific War, the division continued garrison duty in Manchuria. In April 1945, as the American threat to the Home Islands intensified, the main force of the 11th Division was recalled to its home base at Zentsuji. Under the 55th Army, alongside the 155th Division, it took defensive positions along Tosa Bay in Kochi Prefecture, preparing for the anticipated Allied invasion of Shikoku. The division was in these positions when Japan surrendered in August 1945 and was disbanded in September 1945.

Zentsuji POW Camp (1942–1945)

The Zentsuji garrison became the site of one of the first formally established Allied prisoner-of-war camps in the Japanese Home Islands. In mid-January 1942, the first POWs arrived — American military personnel, civilians, and diplomatic staff captured on Guam and Wake Island. Designated as a showcase camp for International Red Cross inspections, Zentsuji was intended to demonstrate Japan's "fair treatment" of POWs. In reality, conditions were harsh: rations averaged approximately 1,500 calories daily, and prisoners were forced to load and unload rail cars by hand. Despite these conditions, the POWs established "Zentsuji College," an educational program utilizing a 500-book library to teach engineering, languages, business, law, and other subjects. The camp remained in operation until liberation after August 1945.

Adjacent Kaikosha Officers' Club (1903, Important Cultural Property)

The Former Zentsuji Kaikosha (旧善通寺偕行社), completed on 10 May 1903, is a single-story wooden building in Renaissance style, featuring a grand entrance porch with square columns and a triangular pediment. The red-brick foundation with army star-shaped ventilation grills dates to the Meiji period. Designated a National Important Cultural Property (重要文化財) on 15 June 2001, it underwent restoration from 2004 to 2007 and now houses the "Kaikosha Café" and serves as a venue for community events.

Present Day: JGSDF Camp Zentsuji and Nogi Museum

Camp Zentsuji (善通寺駐屯地) has been used by the National Police Reserve and its successor, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, since 1950 and currently serves as the headquarters of the 14th Brigade and the 15th Rapid Deployment Regiment. The former division headquarters building houses the 14th Music Band on the first floor and operates as the Nogi Museum (乃木館) on the second floor, displaying artifacts from the 11th Division's history. The museum is open free of charge (9:00–12:00, 13:00–16:00, closed Wednesdays), though advance reservation is required.

The fact that Zentsuji preserves its original headquarters, armories, barracks, and officers' club — all on their original sites and in continuous use since the Meiji era — makes it one of the most historically significant surviving military installations in Japan.