The Japanese “Bamboo Spearmen” were improvised militia forces organised during the final months of 1944–45, when Japan prepared for the expected Allied invasion of the home islands. As part of the Volunteer Fighting Corps, civilians—including elderly men, women, and school-aged youths—were mobilised and given basic training to resist landing forces. Due to severe shortages of rifles and modern weapons, many were issued simple bamboo spears, often little more than sharpened poles, intended for close-quarters defence and last-ditch resistance.
 
These units were part of Japan’s wider defensive strategy under Operation Ketsugō, which envisioned mass civilian participation in repelling invasion forces. While largely symbolic of the desperate situation facing Japan late in the war, the bamboo spearmen reflected the regime’s commitment to total mobilisation and the expectation of fierce homeland resistance. In the event, the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands did not occur following Japan’s surrender in August 1945, meaning these formations were never tested in the large-scale combat for which they were prepared.
 
Supplied with heads attached.
 
6 Models Supplied. 
 
Printed by Imperator Models on License from 3D Breed.