*
World War II -- age of soldiers Japan national comscription law
World War II: Japanese Conscription--National Conscription Law (1873-1945)
Figure 1.--This portrait of a young Japanaese Army soldier is unidentified and undated. Based on the collar tab, we can date it it to 1939-45, but not any more specific date, although we would guess it was taken early in the Pacific War. We believe that he is pribably a recruit that that has just finished his training and has been promoted to private. (Which would explain the difference in the shoulder board (red with a yellow stripe) and collar tab (all red) -- they should match.) The round ensignia identified his specialty and level of expertise--but we can not make it out. In contrast to the rank collar and shoulder indsuignia, there was a large number of these specialty badges. Notice the formality--he is wearing gloves. This of course is not the image of the Japanese soldier depictd by Allied propagannda. But the larger question is how were young men like this capable of such unimaginable bruitality to captured enemny soldiers as well as innocent civilians throughout the War.
National conscription began soon after the Meiji Restoration as part of a series of reforms (January 10, 1873). It was the beginning of important changes the country's social structure. Many conservatives, especially the old Samurai Class, objected because a modern military including the peasantry meant an end to the Samurai. This was the cause of the short-lived Satsuma Rebellion (1877). The Japanese used Prussia as a model for its new army and its conscription system. The new Conscription Law required every male at age 20 to register for 2 years of service and remain in reserve status, subject to recall, until age 40 years. First-born sons, students, and teachers were exempt. Inevitably, as as the bulk of the population was composed of the peasantry, the new Japanese Army would be composed of peasants. Along with the Meiji educational reforms, the National Conscription law played a major role in brininging a already basically compliant peasantry within the new national ethos of Meiji Japan. Ulike the medieval Samurai weapons, peasants could be trained to use modern firearms in a short period of time. This made the professional Samurai warrior obsolete, but it allowed the military to thoiroughly indocrinate basically three generations of Japanese of all classes into the warrior spirit and the Bushido code.
After World War I, many countries ended or reduced conscriotion. Japan did not. And after the military expanded control of the Government, the military's indictricatiion of children and recruits intensified.
No other World War II beligerant had soldiers who fought with such unquestioned ferocity with a total disdregard of life. No other country had soldiers who opreferred death to surrender as the Marines first encountered on Guadalcanal. And even many civilans refused to surrender as the Americans encountered on Saipan. The military conscription program further strengthend the regime and commitment to it because it created a rare avenue of advancement for poor peasant boys--a factor in the extodinary fighting spirit of the Japanese soldier. The contiunuing warv in China and battlefield reverses in the Paciufic forced the Japanese to expand conscription. Notably the same time land reform was not part of the Meiji reforms. (This will not come until after World War II and Japan surrendered to the Americans. Gen. MacArthur imposed it on Japan during the occupation.) The result was that Japan well into the 20th century had a depressed peasant class and an inefficent agricultural sector.
