Summary
The National Police Reserve (警察予備隊, Keisatsu Yobitai), or NPR, was a lightly armed national police force established in August 1950 during the Allied occupation of Japan.[2] In October 1952, it was expanded to 110,000 men and renamed as the National Safety Force (保安隊, Hoantai). On July 1, 1954, it was reorganized as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
| National Police Reserve (NPR) | |
|---|---|
| 警察予備隊 | |
 NPR insignia | |
| Active | 10 August 1950–1 July 1954 |
| Country |  Japan |
| Type | Gendarmerie |
| Role | Anti-tank warfare Border control Cold-weather warfare Counterinsurgency Counterintelligence Crowd control Force protection Forward observer HUMINT Indirect fire Intelligence assessment Internal security Jungle warfare Law enforcement Patrolling Raiding Reconnaissance Riot control Urban warfare |
| Size | c. 75,000 – 110,000 |
| Part of | National Safety Agency, Prime Minister's Office |
| Garrison/HQ | Camp Etchūjima, Kōtō, Tokyo |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Senior Superintendent Keizō Hayashi[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
History edit
On the outbreak of the Korean War, many units of the United States Armed Forces stationed in Japan were transferred to South Korea for combat, and Japan was perceived as lacking defenses.[3][4][2] Encouraged by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (GHQ), the Japanese government in 1950 authorized the establishment of NPR, consisting of 75,000 men equipped with light infantry weapons.[5][4] Personnel affairs of the NPR was taken charge of by GHQ's Government Section (GS) under Brigadier General Courtney Whitney[6] while the efforts to establish and train the force was made by Civil Affairs Section Annex (CASA) under Major General Whitfield P. Shepard.[7][1]
Given the legal status of police, the National Police Reserve was tasked with the duty to maintain public security under special conditions according to the National Police Reserve Order (Cabinet Order No. 260, 1950),[n 1] while in terms of unit formation and equipment, it was a de facto military force modeled after the United States Army.[10]
In October 1952, the NPR was expanded to 110,000 men and renamed as the National Safety Force (NSF).[11][12][13]
On July 1, 1954, after the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Act [Act No. 165 of 1954] the National Security Board was reorganized as the Defense Agency, and the National Security Force was reorganized as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (postwar army branch of Japan),[14] while the Coastal Safety Force (waterborne counterpart of the NPR) was reorganized as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (postwar naval branch of Japan).[15][16]
Ranks edit
| NPR ranks | equivalent ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in Japanese | English translations | National Safety Forces ranks | Army/JGSDF rnks[18] | |
| Officers | Sōtaisōkan-taru-keisatukan (総隊総監たる警察監) | Senior Superintendent (serving as Superintendent General of the National Police Reserve) (Wearing three star rank insignia[19]) |
Di-ichibakuryōchō-taru-hoankan (第一幕僚長たる保安監) | Lieutenant General |
| Keisatsukan (警察監)[20] | Senior Superintendent[1] (Wearing two star rank insignia[19]) |
Hoankan (保安監) | ||
| Keisatsukanho (警察監補) | Assistant Senior Superintendent[19] | Hoankanho (保安監補) | Major General | |
| Ittō keisatsusei (1等警察正)[21] | Superintendent First Class[22] | Ittō hoansei (1等保安正) | Colonel | |
| Nitō keisatsusei (2等警察正)[23] | Superintendent Second Class[24] | Nitō hoansei (2等保安正) | Lieutenant Colonel | |
| Keisatsushicyō (警察士長)[23] | Senior Inspector[24] | Santō hoansei (3等保安正) | Major | |
| Ittō Keisatsushi (1等警察士)[23] | Inspector First Class[24] | Ittō hoanshi (1等保安士) | Captain | |
| Nitō Keisatsushi (2等警察士)[20] | Inspector Second Class[1] | Nitō hoanshi (2等保安士) | First lieutenant | |
| - | - | Santō hoanshi (3等保安士)[25] | Second lieutenant | |
| Sub-officers | Ittō Keisatsushiho (1等警察士補) | Assistant Inspector First Class | Ittō hoanshiho (1等保安士補) | Master Sergeant |
| Nitō Keisatsushiho (2等警察士補) | Assistant Inspector Second Class | Nitō hoanshiho (2等保安士補) | Sergeant First Class | |
| Santō Keisatsushiho (3等警察士補) | Assistant Inspector Third Class | Santō hoanshiho (3等保安士補) | Sergeant | |
| Patrolmen | Keisachō (警査長) | Senior Patrolman | Hosachō (保査長) | Leading Private |
| Ittō Keisa (1等警査) | Patrolman First Class | Ittō hosa (1等保査) | Private First Class | |
| Nitō Keisa (2等警査)[26] | Patrolman Second Class[27] | Nitō hosa (2等保査) | Private | |
Photos edit
-
National Police Reserve Corps, (Showa 27) May 3, 1952 -
Police Reserve Corps 1st Regiment -
A police officer of a police reserve party who will face the first morning assembly after commissioning -
NPR bazooka training
See also edit
Notes and references edit
Notes
- ^ According to Article 3, National Police Reserve Order (警察予備隊令第三條), the NPR took action upon appointment by the Prime Minister when it was particularly necessary to maintain public security.[8] (original text in Japanese: 警察予備隊は、治安維持のため特別の必要がある場合において、内閣総理大臣の命を受け行動するものとする。)[9]
References
- ^ a b c d Kuzuhara 2006, p. 99.
- ^ a b Kuzuhara 2006, p. 95.
- ^ 佐道明廣 2017, p. 36.
- ^ a b 佐道明広 2006, p. 23.
- ^ Kuzuhara 2006, p. 96.
- ^ Maeda 1995, p. 25.
- ^ 华丹 2014, p. 22.
- ^ 佐道明廣 2017, p. 37.
- ^ 松本昌悦, 尾崎利生 & 箭川哲 1988, p. 475.
- ^ 佐道明廣 2017, p. 37-38.
- ^ 佐道明広 2006, p. 32.
- ^ 华丹 2014, p. 30.
- ^ 赫赤, 关南 & 姜孝若 1988, p. 189.
- ^ Kowalski 2014, p. 72.
- ^ Takei 2008, p. 3.
- ^ 武居智久 2008, p. 5.
- ^ PANZER April 1998 issue page.125 Argonaut.Inc .
- ^ 防衛庁 2004, p. 266.
- ^ a b c At that time, they corresponded to three-star rank, two-star rank and one-star rank respectively.
- ^ a b 葛原和三 2006, p. 83.
- ^ 葛原和三 2006, p. 89.
- ^ Kuzuhara 2006, p. 107.
- ^ a b c 葛原和三 2006, p. 87.
- ^ a b c Kuzuhara 2006, p. 104.
- ^ Established march 1953.
- ^ 葛原和三 2006, p. 82.
- ^ Kuzuhara 2006, p. 98.
References edit
- Maeda, Tetsuo (1995). The Hidden Army: The Untold Story of Japan's Military Forces. Edition Q. ISBN 9781883695019.
- Kowalski, Frank (2014). An Inoffensive Rearmament: The Making of the Postwar Japanese Army. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781591142263.
- Kuzuhara, Kazumi (2006). "The Korean War and The National Police Reserve of Japan: Impact of the US Army's Far East Command on Japan's Defense Capability" (PDF). NIDS Journal of Defense and Security. No. 7. National Institute for Defense Studies. ISSN 1345-4250. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2016.
{{cite journal}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - Takei, Tomohisa (2008). "Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in the New Maritime Era" (PDF). Hatou. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2018.
- (in Japanese)武居智久 (2008). 海洋新時代における海上自衛隊 [Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in the New Maritime Era] (PDF). 波涛. 34. 波涛編集委員会. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2018.
- (in Japanese)葛原和三 (2006). 朝鮮戦争と警察予備隊：米極東軍が日本の防衛力形成に及ぼした影響について (PDF). 防衛研究所紀要. 8 (3). 防衛研究所. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-23.
- (in Japanese)松本昌悦; 尾崎利生; 箭川哲 (1988). 原典 日本憲法資料集. 創成社. ISBN 978-4794440082.
- (in Japanese)佐道明広 (2006). 戦後政治と自衛隊. 吉川弘文館. ISBN 4-642-05612-2.
- (in Japanese)防衛庁 (2004). "自衛隊の階級" [Ranks of the JSDF]. 平成16年版 防衛白書 [Defense of Japan 2004] (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- (in Chinese)华丹 (2014). 日本自卫队. 陝西人民出版社. ISBN 978-7-224-11012-8.
- (in Chinese)赫赤; 关南; 姜孝若 (1988). 战后日本政治. 航空工业出版社. ISBN 7-80046-081-9.
- (in Chinese)佐道明廣 (2017). 自衛隊史：日本防衛政策七十年. Translated by 趙翊達. 八旗文化、遠足文化. ISBN 978-986-93844-1-4.
