Col. Frank Kowalski served as the Chief of Staff of the American military advisory group that helped establish the National Police Reserve, the predecessor to the Japan Self- Defense Forces during its first two years of existence. His work provides a detailed account of the manning, logistics, and personalities involved in standing up--on short notice --of a force of approximately 75,000, while sharing insights about the diplomatic, political, legal, and constitutional challenges his headquarters and his Japanese counterparts faced in rearming Japan in the wake of the sudden outbreak of the Korean War. Published in Japanese in 1969, this is the first English version of this edition, and includes a biographic section about Kowalski. -- Provided by publisher.

Originally published in Japanese as Nihon saigunbi.

Grace of heaven -- Japan before Korea -- Basic plan -- Constitution bans war -- Yoshida's views -- Struggle for control -- Advisers and operations -- Organizational problems -- Leaders fashion armies -- Seishin Kyōiku -- Yobitai -- Confusion and conflict -- The imperial military -- Dawn of a new era.