The was an elite paramilitary youth branch of the ''

Imperial Rule Assistance Association The , or Imperial Aid Association, was the Empire of Japan's ruling organization during much of World War II. It was created by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe on 12 October 1940, to promote the goals of his ("New Order") movement. It evolved i ...

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

of wartime

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...

established in January 1942, and based on the model of the German Sturmabteilung (stormtroopers). Members received a deep political indoctrination and basic military training. Their responsibilities included forming part of the

home guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

to assist in matters of civil defense under the direction of official local authorities. They were issued mostly obsolete weapons provided to the organization under orders from their Director-General Kingoro Hashimoto, and were expected to assist local firefighting efforts following air raids, distribute emergency supplies and render basic

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...

. The most advanced pupils were earmarked for eventual enrollment in the

Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...

, or for a future role as elected local politicians within the ''

Taisei Yokusankai The , or Imperial Aid Association, was the Empire of Japan's ruling organization during much of World War II. It was created by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe on 12 October 1940, to promote the goals of his ("New Order") movement. It evolved i ...

'' organization. In addition to its civil defence and paramilitary role, the Yokusan Sonendan was also tasked with assisting local '' tonarigumi'' neighborhood civil defense organizations and the '' Kenpeitai'' military police by watching for signs of subversives in their area and reporting any anti-war or anti-government activities. In the last stages of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, members received additional military training in the use of anti-tank weapons and light

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...

s, for transfer into reserve combat units to support Japan's remaining troops against the expected Allied invasion of the

Japanese home islands The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chin ...

. The group suffered heavy combat casualties during the Battle of Okinawa. The Yokusan Sonendan was disbanded on 30 May 1945 and its membership merged into the Volunteer Fighting Corps.Frank, ''Downfall, the End of the Japanese Empire''
/ref>

References

Notes Bibliography * * * {{Authority control Empire of Japan Military history of Japan Youth wings of political parties in Japan Youth organizations established in 1942 Organizations disestablished in 1945 Military wings of fascist parties Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 1942 establishments in Japan 1945 disestablishments in Japan