JSA - Keisotsu Butai

The post-Uprising Japanese Society, so strongly influenced by the kuge orthodoxy that exalts bushi warriorship and its devotion to self-betterment, offers few avenues of social advancement more expedient than military service.  For those on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder, the most practical enlistment options are the Keisotsu Infantry Regiments (Butai).  The Keisotsu are the backbone of the Japanese armed forces and the crux of their operational doctrine. The word Keisotsu is a title of honor that translates as “excellent soldier,” a credit to the level of commitment expected of these foot soldiers.  Mindful of their pivotal role in the defense of their nation, Keisotsu are eager to risk their lives on the front lines, always under the command of their bushi superiors.  And risk their lives they do, given the staggering casualty rates suffered by Keisotsu regiments deployed in one “hot spot” after another.  But new recruits know the risks are not without their rewards; the unparalleled honor of serving their Emperor and championing the cause of their nation’s freedom and – equally important – guaranteed social promotion for as long as they survive the gauntlet of fire.

At a glance, one might think the role of the Kempeitai, its very raison d’être, must have been drastically altered since the Uprising. They were, after all, a clandestine organization created to infiltrate the Yu Jing military and take revenge against its abuse of Japanese troops.  Their goals ostensibly achieved, they have now become an active element in the defense of their nation.  The Kempeitai has adopted the trappings and responsibilities of a military police even as their true authority reaches far beyond them, up to and including counter-intelligence and extrajudicial operations.  Their job is to root out and suppress all activities considered anti-Japanese, a term interpreted so broadly it covers not only spies, collaborationists and foreign agents, but any suspect of furthering a pro-Yu Jing agenda or harboring sentiments contrary to national autonomy and the Emperor.  The Kempeitai are in charge of counter-guerilla and retaliation operations, but they are not above deploying alongside the rank and file on ongoing military engagements, which they can assume control of if need be.  The unit has accumulated a fearsome measure of power, in part due tot the fact that any Kempeitai agent has the prerogative to arrest military officers up to three ranks above himself on suspicion of disloyalty.  Enhanced interrogations and summary executions are common practice for them.  As the responsibilities of the Kempeitai have expanded, so has their reputation worsened, but the purpose of the unit hasn’t budged since its inception under the yoke of the StateEmpire: to pursue the enemies of Japan and eliminate them with ferocious implacability.