This study aimed to review the historical transition of forest engineer appointments in the prefectural administration of non-national forests since the Meiji era in Japan. First, using historical materials, the overview of the nationwide history of the transition was clarified from this era, when forest engineers with modern forestry education were first employed in prefectural non-national forests, up to now. The appointments of forest engineers in the prefectural administrations of non-national forests were responses to post-flood diseases that occurred in the 1890s and gradually spread to each prefecture. The number of prefectural forest engineers increased rapidly in the late 1930s to secure personnel for establishing forest product inspection agencies, the first of which was for charcoal. After the war, there were a total of 11,000 prefectural forest engineers, and they supported the administration of non-national forest policy under the Forest Law of 1951; however, that number has rapidly declined during the 21st century. Second, who was appointed and when in each prefecture, which can be said to be the beginning of modernization, was discovered using historical materials. Furthermore, the characteristics of the forest engineer appointments during the introduction period were clarified. All prefectures accepted these engineers over a period of 18 years, from 1895 to 1912; in addition, the number of graduates in 1890 was particularly outstanding.