In April 1945, the Japanese cabinet resolved on reforming
Kokumin Giyūtai into civilian
militia. In June, the cabinet passed a special
conscription law, and named the militia units
Volunteer Fighting Corps.
The
Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai would be organized, if the Allied landing unit close to the Japanese homeland. Governors of
Prefectures could conscript all male civilians between the ages of 15 to 60 years, and unmarried females of 17 to 40 years.
[1] Commanders were appointed from retired military personnel and civilians with weapons experience.
Combat training sessions were held. But, the corps was primarily assigned to support tasks such as construction, transportation and rationing.
The Volunteer Fighting Corps was intended as main reserve along with a "second defense line" for Japanese forces to sustain a
war of attrition against invading forces. After the Allied invasion, these forces were intended to form resistance or
guerilla warfare cells in cities, towns, or mountains.
Some 28,000,000 men and women were considered "combat capable" by the end of June 1945, yet only about 2,000,000 of them were recruited when the war ended, and most of them did not experience combat due to Japan's surrender before the Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands. The
Battle of Okinawa took place before the formation of Volunteer Fighting Corps.
[3] At this stage of the war, the lack of modern weaponry and ammunition meant that most were armed with swords or even bamboo spears.