Editing Sapper (section)

=== Japan ===
[[File:Gen-Oleu-Emperor-Taisho-Gen-Uehara-Yusaku-LCCN2014700979.jpg|thumb|[[Emperor Taishō]] and Gen. Uehara in 1915 (Taishō 4).]]

==== Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) ====
In Japan, ''Kōhei-ka'' ({{ill|工兵科|ja|工兵|vertical-align=sup}}, 工 means "engineer" and 兵 means "soldiers"), or Engineer Branch in English, was a branch (兵科) of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]]. General [[Yūsaku Uehara]], who introduced the French ''[[sapeur]]'' or ''[[ingénieur]]'' system to IJA and authored the ''Kōhei Sōten'' (工兵操典, "Engineers' Manual"), is known as the "father of Japanese ''Kōhei''" ("日本工兵の父").

Engineer Branch officers were considered technology specialists along with Artillery Branch (砲兵科) officers in IJA, except Technical Branch (技術科) officers who have an academic degree in science or engineering and developed military technology.

Selected Engineer and Artillery officers were educated at the [[Imperial Japanese Army Artillery and Engineering School|Army Artillery and Engineering School]] ({{ill|陸軍砲工学校|ja|vertical-align=sup}}). Artillery and Engineering School's ''Kōtō-ka'' (高等科, "Higher Course") was equivalent to the [[Army War College (Japan)|Army War College]]. Some ''Kōtōka'' graduates, like Lt. Gen. [[Takeo Yasuda]], continued their studies as ''Rikugun Ingai Gakusei'' (陸軍員外学生) at Imperial University of Tokyo's Engineering Faculty and Science Faculty and obtained degrees. Due to the apparent importance of science and technology, Artillery and Engineering School was renamed Army Science School during [[World War II]] and was also studied by non-artillery and non-engineer officers.

Ordinary personnel at Engineer Branch are educated at the [[Imperial Japanese Army Engineer School|Army Engineer School]] ({{ill|陸軍工兵学校|ja|vertical-align=sup}}) and other schools.

==== Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) ====
[[Japan Ground Self-Defense Force|JGSDF]] ''Shisetsu-ka'' ({{ill|施設科|ja|vertical-align=sup}}, "施設" literally means "facilities"), or Engineer Branch in English, is equivalent to the IJA ''Kōhei-ka''. In accordance with the JSDF's nomenclature, this title was devised to avoid the character for 'soldier', which evokes the military.

JGSDF Engineer Branch personnel are educated at [[JGSDF Engineer School]] ({{ill|陸上自衛隊施設学校|ja|vertical-align=sup}}).