An Overview of Amateur Call Signs — Past and Present in JA

Soon after World War II

War was over. American troops stationed in Japan soon started amateur radio using

• (their own callsign)/J(#)-type (eg. W2CDJ/J2),
• J#$$-type 1×2 (I suppose they might be uncovers) or
• J#$$$-type 1×3 (eg. J2POY)

call signs. But finaly, they were concentrated to J#$$$-types.

See http://motobayashi.net/callbook/occupied-j.html

The call areas basically comes from Japan's pre-war definition. Chosen (Korea) still used Japan's J8-prefix until Feb. 14, 1948 (then they became HL). J9 was shifted from Taiwan and Nan'yo to Okinawa.

Source: QST Jan., 1947 p.48 (TKS TO JA1BWA)

During this era, J9AAO in Okinawa made an ultra-DX 16,800 km QSO in 6 meters, with CE1AH of Chile on October 17, 1947 ^[CQ].

Japan's Prefix Reduced to JA-JS

The ITU reduced the prefix block for Japan — and Germany, too — from J to JA-JS, at Atlantic City Conference of 1947 (effective Jan. 1, 1949).

So the J stations changed their call signs to JA#$$-type 2×2 format on January 1, 1949. GHQ (General Headquarters of the Allied Forces) licensed the amateur stations. Not only Americans but also a Canadian, Robert G. Robson, VE7BKA (ex VE4DO, VE1UC) in Kure was able to get his club's call sign as JA5RG. An applicant was able to get a preferable suffix reflecting his initials as requested ^[JE3TEA].

In Okinawa, J9, the US allocated the KR6-prefix to there where has been under American military administration, so they chanded their call sings. But the authority only premited US nationals to open amateur stations this time. Not the Japanese nationals.

In the prefix KR6, R stands for Ryukyu, the geoglaphical name of the Islands, and 6 means that here is off-shore islands from the continental W6 area (but very very far...).

In addition, Iwo I. used JA0

Ogasawara staitions began to use KG6I$ call signs. The following call signs are reported ^[HG]:

KG61D ... Douglas Reef (= Okino-torishima I.) 1963 by Don Miller, W9WNV
KG6IF ... Marcus I.(= Minami-torishima I.), -1965 by N7KA; 1967 by W7CB
KG6IG ... Chichijima I. 1965-, by W3KTY
KG6IJ ... Iwo I.

JA1EEB/KG6 has operated from Marcus I. by Mr. Tsuboi from Japan Meteorological Agency.

Occupation Forces Moved away from JA to KA

In June 1950, Japan enacted the current Radio Act, in which the word "Amateur Radio" was first appeared in the Japanese law history, and held the first operator examination in that month. The previous law described its station as a "Private Radio Experimental Station," having some restrictions of the output power (10W) and operating hours ^[JA1BC]. In such a preparation for the reopening of Japan's own amateur radio, in June 1952, American stations quickly—in about half a month—changed their call signs to use KA prefixes, which had been used as KA1 in the Philippines before the war (the A in KA suggests Asia).

They vacated the JA prefix for the Japanese licensees, while they were remaining as KA AMRS (Auxiliary Military Radio Station) about twenty years after that ^{[JA1AN 23]}.

By the way, the other series of MARS in Asia existed in American phone band on 40-m. At least AI1, AI2, AI4, AI7, AJ1, AJ2, AJ4 and AJ7 might be in Japan. (The US had gotten the AA-AL block at the Atlantic City Conference of 1947 ^[QST].) The big differences from KA stations were that (1) they contacted only MARS having call signs of AA-AB, AH-AL and AQ-AR (but some operators sometimes responded to the state-side), and (2) they frequently used coded phrases ^{[JA2RM 1999h2]}.

"MARS" uses military frequencies for military back up communications and morale use for the US Government.
"AMRS" is a method in place that allows military and US Gov civilians to operate on the Japanese Amateur radio frequencies while in Japan.

Used KA Call Signs in Japan

Basically, KA2AA-KA9ZZ was used, with some exceptions as follows.

• KA2AA-KA9ZZ
  2×2, with a digit 2-9 only, were allocated to ARMS.
  The FCC still blocks KA2AA-KA9ZZ:
  http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/amateur/callsigns/vanity/
  
  
• 2×3, within KA2-9
  According to callbooks at that time, five KA2$$$ and one KA5$$$ call signs turned up in Japan.
  
  

  Used KA2$$$-KA9$$$ Call Signs in Japan

  Call Sign	Year	QTH
  KA2BZF	1967
  KA2FEC	1954-1969
  KA2IMB	1967
  KA2USA	1954-1956
  KA2USF	1964-1978
  KA5AKT	1970-1971	SS Santa Clara

  
  
  
• Some KA0's and KA1's
  Some 2×2 of KA0; 2×1, 2×2 and 2×3 of KA1 call signs have been rarely used in Japan in our past, for
  - Iwo Jima — officially "Io-to" —, one of islannds in JD1/O: Ogasawara, and
  - Minami-tori-shima (or Marucs I.), JD1/M.
  Where "/M" and "/O" are not designators to be appended during a communication, but just ones to clarify their entity in a DXCC discussion.
  
  

  Used KA0-KA1 Call Signs in Japan

  	KA0	KA1
  2×1		Call Sign Year QTH KA1B 1970 Minami-Tori-shima KA1C 1969 Iwo Jima KA1S 1977 Minami-Tori-shima
  2×2	Call Sign Year QTH KA0CY 1956-1957 Iwo Jima KA0IJ 1952-1958 Iwo Jima KA0IK     KA0SC 1957 Iwo Jima	Call Sign Year QTH KA1AA 1981 Minami-Tori-shima KA1BL 1972-1973 Minami-Tori-shima KA1CG 1981 Minami-Tori-shima KA1CQ 1973 Iwo Jima KA1DF 1972 Minami-Tori-shima KA1DX 1972-1973 Minami-Tori-shima KA1IJ 1969-1971 Iwo Jima KA1IW 1972-1979 Iwo Jima KA1MC 1978 Minami-Tori-shima KA1MI 1972-1978 Minami-Tori-shima
  2×3		Call Sign Year QTH KA1IWO 1977 Iwo Jima

The FCC adopted the "Group Call Sign System" effective March 24, 1978. After that, Extra Class amateurs were entitled to get "Group A" 2×1 KA1$ call signs,
Advanced got "Group B" 2×2 KA0$$ and KA1$$, and
Novice got "Group D" 2×3 KA1$$$, KA2$$$ and KA5$$$.

In such a situation, under normal conditions, call signs
KA1AA in 1981,
KA1CG in 1981 and
KA1MC in 1978 (Sept. 6)
were supposed to be assigned not in Japan but in the US mainland.

The last licencee of an AMRS

It was KA2AZ, Dec. 30, 1992 - Dec. 30, 1995 as far as the author knows. According to himself, however, his real QRV was until 1993.

Reopening by the Japanese

In 1952, Amateur Radio reopened in Japan, by the Japanese.

In June 1951, The authority held the first operator license exam, and in Feb. 1952, began to receive the applications for their station licenses, expecting the Peace Treaty going into effect (Apr. 28, 1952) ^[ZOKU]. Besides GHQ canceled the prohibition of Amateur Radio on March 11, 1952 ^[CQ]. and the Radio Administration Committee decided the licensing policy for Amateur Radio at the #76 Meeting on June 19, 1952 ^[ZOKU], and disclosed it on June 29, 1952 ^{[JA1AN 22]}.

The new area definition was as the following figure and table:

In this way, the Japan's authority finally issued pre-permits — for test transmissions — to thirty applicants on July 29, 1952. July 29 became the "Amateur Radio Day" in Japan later.

The following five applicants of them firstly got the real licenses on August 27, 1952: JA1AB, JA1AF, JA1AH, JA1AJ and JA3AA ^{[CQ][JA2RM 2001h2]}.

Here let's trace two pioneers' call signs. Ken'ichi Kajii became from JAZZ, 3AZ and J3CC to JA1FG; and Koichi Kasahara became from JFMT, 3AA, JXIX, J3DD, J1EZ and J2GR to JA1HAM ^[JA3HXJ].

Ninth and Tenth Call Area Added

From 1952 to 1954, the Shin'etsu district (current Area 0) was a part of the first call area, as well as Hokuriku (current Area 9) was the second. The reason was the authority (1) made resistance to use the numerals 1 and 0, which had not been used before the war, and (2) could not TYPE the character "Ø." Instead of that, JA1WA-ZZ, JA1WAA-ZZZ and JA2WA-ZZ, JA2WAA-ZZZ were allocated to these areas respectively. From these call sign blocks, JA1WA-ZZ and WAA-WAF were actually issued for Shin'etsu and JA2WA-ZS for Hokuriku^{[OG 8481][OG 8521]}.

But the authority changed its mind to establish Area 0 and 9 on November 27, 1954 at last. On November 27 ^{[I need to make sure]} and on December 15, 1954 for Hokuriku and Shin'etsu respectively, the authority permitted existing JA1WA-ZZ, WAA-WAF and JA2WA-ZS to change to JA0AA-EF and JA9AA-DS respectively.

This re-assignment was NOT held all together in a certain day, but it ended up that all JA1WAs and JA2WAs gradually applied for their new JA0 and JA9 call signs.

Of course, new applicants after the change-over, initially got JA0 and JA9 their call signs.

JA1ZS  1954-11-26
JA1ZT  1954-12-02
JA1ZU  1954-12-02
JA1ZV  1954-12-02
JA1ZW  1954-10-29


JA1ZZ  1954-12-14
JA1WAA 1954-12-17
JA1WAB 1954-12-12
JA1WAC 1954-12-17
JA1WAD 1954-12-04

JA1WAF 1955-01-11

JADX   1955-02-03
JADY   1955-02-07









JAEI   1955-01-28
JAEJ   1955-02-26
JAEK   1955-03-04

JAEM   1955-03-08
JA0EN  1955-04-13
JAEO   1955-03-08

JA2ZJ 1954-12-03


JA2ZM 1954-11-29



JA2ZQ 1954-10-13

JA2ZS 1954-12-01

JA9DK 1954-12-28
JA9DL 1955-03-22







JA9DT 1954-12-11
JA9DU 1955-03-18
JA9DV 1954-12-11

JA9DX 1954-12-06
JA9DY 1955-01-25
JA9DZ 1954-12-11
JA9EA 1955-01-29
JA9EB 1955-01-10
JA9EC 1955-03-18
JA9ED 1955-03-29
JA9EE 1955-01-26
JA9EF 1955-03-24

whrere,

• JA1WAF .... Probably the latest JA1W
• JADX .... Earliest call JA0 — yeah! they wasn't able to type "0" in Ministry Notifications
• JAEI .... Earliest date JA0
• JA0EN .... Earliest typed-"0"
• JA2ZS .... Latest JA2W
• JA9DK .... Earliest call JA9
• JA9DX .... Earliest date JA9

After this modificaiton, vacated JA1WA-ZZ, WAA-WAF and JA2WA-ZS were recycled in the current first and second call areas as follows:

• JA1WA-ZZ
  • 1st .... Issued in Shin'etsu 1952-54, and changed to JA0AA-DZ
  • 2nd .... Re-issued in Kanto in 1958
• JA1WAA-WAF
  • 1st .... Issued in Shin'etsu 1954-55, and changed to JA0EA-EF
  • 2nd .... Re-issued in Kanto in 1965
  • 3rd .... Re-issued in Kanto in 2004
• JA2WA-ZS
  • 1st .... Issued in Hokuriku 1952-54, and changed to JA9AA-DS
  • 2nd .... Re-issued in Tokai in 1957-58

Consequently current JA1WA-ZZ stations are at least four years "younger" than the other two-letter suffix stations in Kanto (i.e. JA1AA-VZ, licensed 1952-54). In addition, younger than the beginning part of the three-letter suffixes too, because when JA1WA-ZZ was re-issued — the authority gave them to applicans after January 1, 1958^{[CQ 1958-1]} , and exhausted in January and February — the three-letter suffix call signs had issued at least as JA1BZ$ in the first (Kanto) area already.

On the other hand, in the second (Tokai) area, still JA2M$s were being issued when JA9 was carved out. So JA2WA-ZZ were naturally re-issued after JA2VZ, around 1957. ^[JA2XT]

Area Borders Slightly Changed at Three Points 1958-1963

We had four mergings of municipalities, which crossed the call area borders and occurred slight modifications of them.

In the case of Fukuura-area, one station had to change his call sign from JA4BVQ to JA3JRP, about two years after the merger. Yamaguchi-village's case, in 2005, is described later.

Japanese Nationals in Okinawa got KR8

Ryukyu Government in Okinawa permitted Japanese nationals to establish amateur stations in 1961 at last. The first station by the Japanese in Okinawa was KR8AB since June 22, 1961 ^[CQ].

Ogasawara Came back

Ogasawara Is. came back to Japan on June 26, 1968. The authority allocated JD1 to here on March 6, 1969 ^{[JA1ADN 1995]}.

JD1(/O)

Ogasawara and Kazan Is. is still a separated country/entity. They were also known as Bonin and Volcano Islands respectively^[DXCC]. KG6I, Iwo I. is now belongs JD1(/O).

JD1(/M)

Minami-Tori-shima I. is another separated country/entity since 1960. It was also known as Marcus I.

7J1

Okino-Tori-shima I. has been a separated entity (or a "country" at that time) May 30, 1976 - November 30, 1980 as 7J1.

Okinawa Came back

Okinawa came back from the US to Japan on May 15, 1972. Existing stations KR8AA-ME changed their call signs to JR6AA-ME all together. Newly established stations after that use the JR6QUA-XZZ block followed by all of the JS6 ^{[JA1ADN 1995]}.

Thus, the above historical facts made up the CURRENT Japanese call areas.

Area Border Slightly Changed around Former Yamaguchi-village in 2005

On Feb. 13, 2005, Yamaguchi-mura (or -village), in JCG#09004 Kiso-gun, Nagano-pref. was merged with Nakatsugawa-city (JCC#1906), Gifu-pref. across the call area border from Area 0 to Area 2. But for 29 hams in this area, the authority permitted to maintain their original 0 area call signs.

Each licensee was able to chose to change his/her call sign to a new one of Area 2, or not. In consequence, twenty hams kept their original 0 call signs, while nine hams switched their call signs to new ones as JQ2PIN-PIV.

— END —

Transition of Territories & Prefixes

The areas where had been occupied by Japan became independent countries or returned to the original countries.

Where the Nan'yo (or South Sea) Islands was a mandated territory that the League of Nation gave to Japan between World Wars.

On the other hand, Japan's original areas returned after World War II by a gradual process.

The Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration of 1956 laid down that Habomai Is. and Shikotan I. should be returnable to Japan. But as a matter of fact, Russia is still the administrative authority in the Four Northern Islands.

In addition, South Korea asserted its supremacy on Takeshima Is. in Sea of Japan in 1952, and occupies since 1954. Koren operated HM9A/P (1962), 6M0DX (1998), D98TOK (1998) and D9D (2008) from there.

Continue to The Enigma of Japanese Call Sign System

References

^[AYUMI]

JARL, Amateur musen no ayumi, Tokyo: JARL, 1976

^[CQ]

http://www.cqpub.co.jp/cqham/history/nenpyou1940.htm

^{[CQ 1958-1]}

CQ

^{[DEMPA 1987]}

Masatsugu Sakata, "Amateur musen no mukashi banashi (8)," Dempa Juken Kai, Dec. 1987: 132-133

^{[DEMPA 1993]}

Henshubu, "Teatime Yomoyama Banashi: Amateur kyoku no Yobidashi Fugo," Dempa Juken Kai, June 1993: 134-136

^[DXCC]

Notes on Deleted DXCC Entities
http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/deleted_notes.html#7

^[HG]

http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/Ogasawara/kg61d.htm

^[J1AA]

J1AA
https://sites.google.com/site/cb465mhz/amateur-radio/j1aa

^{[JA1AN 2]}

2) Kyushu no amateur musen hassho (1)--Sono tegakari
http://www.icom.co.jp/beacon/ham_life/inami/002.html

^{[JA1AN 3]}

3) Kyushu no amateur musen hassho (2)--Senzen
http://www.icom.co.jp/beacon/ham_life/inami/003.html

^{[JA1AN 22]}

Watashi no amateur musen jinsei (22)--Nando mo kawatta call sign--sono hensen no rekishi
http://www.icom.co.jp/beacon/ham_life/hara/022.html

^{[JA1AN 23]}

Watashi no amateur musen jinsei (23)--KA-kyoku mondai
http://www.icom.co.jp/beacon/ham_life/hara/023.html

^[JA1BC]

http://member.nifty.ne.jp/rnp/JA1BC01.htm

^{[JA1ADN 1995]}

Noboru Ihara, DX Manual, Tokyo: CQ Shuppansha, 1995

^[JA1BWA]

Toshio Takahashi, JA1BWA, "DX no Rekishi (3) Reimei-ki," CQ Ham Radio, Aug., 2002: 172-175

^{[JA1FRA 1976a]}

Toshio Kaneko, JA1FRA, "Ham zenshi kiko (1) J1AA Hiwa," CQ Ham Radio, Jan., 1976: 339-343

^{[JA1FRA 1976b]}

Toshio Kaneko, JA1FRA, "Ham zenshi kiko (2) Zoku J1AA Hiwa--Yami ni kieta Koshinsho," CQ Ham Radio, Feb., 1976: 339-343

^[JJ1TBB]

Masumi Kawasaki, BU2/JJ1TBB, "Ashu musenden--Asia to koyu shiyo," CQ Ham Radio, Jan., 2003: 186-187

^{[JA2RM 1999h]}

JA2RM, "Mukashi (Sengo sugu) JA no prefix wa senryo beikoku gunjin kyoku datta hanashi"
http://www01.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/ba2/jim/ja2rm/990828p1.html

^{[JA2RM 1999h2]}

JA2RM, "KA kyoku wa MARS gun'yo hojo amateur musen kyoku to nattaga kyokuto niwa motomoto betsuni MARS ga atta"
http://www01.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/ba2/jim/ja2rm/990828p2.html

^{[JA2RM 1999h22]}

JA2RM, "KA kyoku no area ni KA1 ga nakatta riyu"
http://www01.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/ba2/jim/ja2rm/990828p2.html

^{[JA2RM 2001h]}

JA2RM, "Sengo no amateur musen shi (6): Nipponjin Ham saikai eno seigan to JARL no ugoki," Habi News 17 Aug. 2001

http://www01.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/ba2/jim/ja2rm/010817.html

^{[JA2RM 2001h2]}

JA2RM, "Sengo no amateur musen shi (8): Taibo hisashi, Nippon jin no te ni JA kyoku menkyo," Habi News 17 Aug. 2001

http://www01.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/ba2/jim/ja2rm/010817.html

^[JA2XT]

JA2XT, "Watashi no jujisha menkyo"
http://www3.tokai.or.jp/ja2xt/menkyo.html

^[JA3HXJ]

Yoshihiko Hasegawa, JA3HXJ, "JARL no hajimari to 21 seiki no makuake"
http://www.19box.net/ham/content1/

^[JE3TEA]

Hiroshi Mizuhara, JE3TEA/4, "A Story of Foreigner's ham station JA5RG," CQ Ham Radio, Sept., 1999: 96-97
https://web.archive.org/web/20010830115517/http://ww1.tiki.ne.jp/~vintage/ham.html

^[JA0AD]

Shin'etsu no ham tachi. Kobayashi-san to sono rekishi (2) Senzen no Shin'etsu no amateur musen
http://www.icom.co.jp/beacon/ham_life/kobayashi/index.html

^{[JN 34-2]}

JARL NEWS February 1934 (#39)

^{[JN 37-1]}

JARL NEWS January 1937 (#58)

^[MORSE]

Henshubu, Ed, Morse Tsushin, Tokyo: CQ Shuppansha, 2001

^[NENPYO]

Kota Kodama, Ed, Nihonshi-Nenpyo - Chizu, Tokyo: Yoshikawa-kobun-kan, 2001

^{[OG 8481]}

Official Gazette #8481, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Notification 428, Apr. 11, 1955

^{[OG 8521]}

Official Gazette #8521, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Notification 616, May 31, 1955

^[QST]

Phil Sager, WB4FDT and Rick Palm, K1CE, "An Overview of Amateur Call Signs -- Past and Present," QST May 1994: 54-59

^[ZOKU]

"Sengo amateur musen shi," Zoku nihon musen shi (I), 1972: 269