While Japanese strategic situations and ambitions require a large active military, for certain financial and industrial reasons, this is almost unfeasible for prolonged periods during peacetime. However, other means that would ensure for an extremely fast expansion period is also considered, providing the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy with the capability to expand its personnel pool within a short period of time is still favored. This has been dubbed by the Ministry of War, the “Shadow Army”.

For the Imperial Japanese Army, it is to be transformed into a “Leader Army”. While existing IJA doctrine already mandates large officer independence and creativity to facilitate its aggressive doctrine, this is to bring it one step further. Cadet training and all existing commissioned officers and NCOs are to be trained to be able to perform the duties of roles 2 promotions above them. In addition to that, many roles that would normally be performed by commissioned officers would now be performed by NCOs, with the total enlisted structure having over 50% NCOs.

In addition, the Reserve structure is to be redefined significantly. The percentage of enlisted discharged by year is up to 33%. Not only will this provide the highest quality for the active personnel of the IJA, but also ensure a large, well-trained reserve force. Any discharged personnel are to be organized into the National Army, organized as a field army within the IJA. National Army units can still be deployed abroad, however, they are not active-duty troops, with the time mandated to serve only lasts for 6 months every year, and will number at around 640,000 men, 320,000 to be available at any given time.

National Army personnel who falls out of the standard enforced (mostly through age, 38 to 50) will fall under the Territorial Army. While they cannot be deployed outside of Japan proper, the Territorial Army’s duty is to provide Home Island defense freeing up IJA regular units for operations overseas, as well as training for other units on the Japanese home islands.

Aside from trained regular units under different roles, the nominal Reserve will be organized into the Office for Reserve within the IJA. Conscripted personnel every year are to be organized into the Reserve Army or the Regular Army. The Regular Army consists of men who have completed their 2 years of military duties, mandated to serve 18 years in the Reserve Army. This also consists of conscripted troops who would have the choice to either enlist in the Regular Army or the Regular Army. The Regular Reserve is permitted for defensive and garrison deployments. The Reserve Army is to number at a nominal strength of 2,600,000. This provides the capability for the IJA, to expand from the strength equivalent to 21 divisions to around 130 divisions within the span of around 6 months to a year, without a noticeable decrease in quality due to the emphasis placed on utilizing as much personnel with previous military experience as possible.

For the Imperial Japanese Air Corps, the civilian airline, the Nippon Koku K.K. is established this year, while operating to perform transportation for the Empire, also serves as a reserve for a pool of large well-trained pilots. Officer training is also to be emphasized upon quality over quantity, with the intention that in times of need, these men would form the core of a larger personnel corps, serving as experts and instructors.

Finally, for the Imperial Japanese Navy, as an island nation whose dependency upon imports could not be overstated, the Merchant Marine is to be drastically expanded through a combination of subsidies for civilian construction for military dockyards, as well as the construction of various private shipyards in Japanese controlled areas outside of the Home Islands in Korea and Manchuria, utilizing local manpower. A larger fleet of merchant ships also serves to bolster and maintain the Japanese shipbuilding industry, while providing a potential drafting reserve of experienced ocean-going sailors.