The purpose of this study is to clarify Ryukei Okudera’s argument on ‘Boy Scouts’ in the periodical, Teikoku Seinen (1916-1922) published by the Central Division of Youth Association [Seinen-dan-Chuou-bu] in Japan.
 It is said that Okudera played a significant role in establishing the ‘Scout Association of Japan’ in terms of translating books on the British Scouting codes and providing a fundamental theory of the movement in the earlier period. Therefore, this study focused on Teikoku Seinen (Seinen after 1923), a monthly magazine first published in 1916, and analyzed 16 articles which Okudera contributed to the magazine.
 This magazine developed a series of articles on the Boy Scout movement, and, in particular, Okudera contributed a one-year serialization of ‘Baden-Powell’s British Boy Scout’ from May 1920 to May 1921, the period which this research paper sectionalizes as the first period (2. The development of the scouting movement in Teikoku Seinen). Okudera began to interact not only with the Youth Association [Seinen-dan] but also with other organizations such as the Character-Building Association [Shuyo-dan] and the Social Education Policy Bureau at Ministry of Education from the end of the serialization of ‘Baden-Powell’s British Boy Scout’ to October 1925 when his “Requests for Japanese Youth Hall [Nihon-Seinen-Kaikan]” (Vol. 10, No. 10) was published. This paper sectionalizes the above period as the second one (3. Formation of Japanese Alliance of Boys’ Association [Shounen-dan-Nihon-Renmei] and Criticism of Youth Association [Seinen-dan] ).
 In conclusion, the research revealed Okudera’s assertion that the Youth Association [Seinen-dan] must change to what is called a Boys’ Association [Shounen-dan] which should be in charge of the Boy Scouts in Japan. In other words, Okudera criticized the methods and contents in the training courses in the Youth Association [Seinen-dan] and emphasized the development of scouting practice through a Boys’ Association [Shounen-dan]. Whereby, he intended (1) the shift from ‘nationalism to internationalism’ in the post-World War I era and the involvement with an international social education movement, (2) organization in accordance with the age and educational methods of the British Scouting movement, and (3) social education to cultivate autonomy, mainly through games and play, rather than military training and social service. Okudera believed that conducting Boy Scout practices through the Youth Association [Seinen-dan] were unfavorable due to its alignment with the principles of the Japanese Military Reservists’ Association, thus he stuck to the term, ‘Boys’ Association [Shounen-dan]’. In other words, Okudera distanced himself from the initiative of the Japanese Military Reservists’ Association [Zaigou-gunzin-kai] and social education with social service-oriented training. Instead, he evaluated social education through games and play.
 Therefore, the significance of Okudera’s argument on Boy Scouts during the earlier period in Japan can be summarized as follows: he not only translated books on scouting and served as a chief of the division of international section and counselor of the Association, but also converted the Youth Association [Seinen-dan] into the ‘Boys’ Association’ [Shounen-dan]’ which became known as the Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922. This shift was based on his conviction that the dissemination of citizenship education as purely originated from the British model should be maintained.

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