The Operational Aspects of the NPR

Abstract

This chapter illustrates the constabulary character of the force, the battles over its direction, and the influence of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) on the National Police Reserve (NPR). It provides a survey of the living conditions and legal position of the NPR's members, and an examination of the JCP's 'military campaign' of the period. This analysis of the JCP contributes to reveal Japanese perspectives and influences on the force and the examination of the 'bottom up' attempts by the JCP to seize control of the force and turn it into a tool of the Left. The key question as to why the NPR was never used in its original internal security role is also examined, with the use of 'Bloody May Day' as a case study. Furthermore, the relations between the JCP and the NPR and the development of the NPR's role in disaster relief operations are also examined.Keywords: Bloody May Day; constabulary character; disaster relief operations; Japanese Communist Party (JCP); military campaign; National Police Reserve (NPR)