La milicia irregular del Kiheitai ( 奇兵隊 , Kiheitai ? ) fue un grupo conformado por voluntarios durante la era Tokugawa en Japón. Fundada en 1863 por Shinsaku Takasugi, estaba constituida por miembros de diferentes clases sociales, incluidos agricultores, comerciantes, samurái y otros. su número rondaba entre los 300 y 400 hombres. El kiheitai era conocido por su disciplina, el uso de armas y técnicas militares de estilo occidental. La milicia se presentó en el Bombardeo de Shimonoseki en los que participaron las fuerzas navales de Gran Bretaña, los Países Bajos, Francia y los Estados Unidos en contra del poderoso señor de la guerra japonés o daimyō Mori Takachika del clan Chōshū. Como el brazo militar de la facción a favor de la reforma en el dominio Chōshū, el Kiheitai ayudó a derrocar la facción pro-bakufu en Chōshū, rechazando las futuras expediciones del gobierno tokugawa para su reconquista, además desempeñó un papel importante en la Guerra Boshin de 1869, la cual condujo a la Restauración Meiji.Tras la restauración, se disolvió en 1868. Tanto por el éxito de una unidad social como el uso de tácticas y armas occidentales, sus características, fueron una importante influencia en el desarrollo del Ejército Imperial Japonés y, posteriormente, en el servicio militar obligatorio en el Japón.

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The Irregular Militia (Kiheitai) (奇兵隊 Kiheitai) was a volunteer militia raised by Chōshū domain during the Bakumatsu period of Japan. Founded in 1863 by Takasugi Shinsaku, the Kiheitai militia consisted of 300-400 men, who came from all social classes, including farmers, merchants, samurai and others. Most were from Chōshū, but a few volunteers were from other domains. The Kiheitai was known for its discipline, and use of western-style weapons and military techniques. It was partly funded by the Chōshū domain, but gained the rest of its financial support through donations by wealthy merchants and farmers. Kiheitai followed a developing trend which had been spearheaded by the shogunate following the Convention of Kanagawa to form military units based on ability rather than hereditary social status. Shinsengumi, a Kyoto-based, pro-Tokugawa police force, was founded in the same year as Kiheitai, and was also composed of people from a broad variety of social classes. The Kiheitai militia saw action in the Bombardment of Shimonoseki in 1864, during which the fleets of Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the United States fired upon the Chōshū port city of Shimonoseki, and subsequently landed troops. As the military arm of the pro-reform faction within the Chōshū domain, the Kiheitai helped overthrow the pro-bakufu faction in the Chōshū civil war, repulsed the Second Chōshū expedition sent by the Tokugawa bakufu in 1866, and played an important role in the Boshin War of 1868-69, which led to the Meiji Restoration. Disbanded in 1868, the success of the socially mixed unit and its Western armaments and tactics was an important influence on the development of the Imperial Japanese Army, and on the later system of universal military conscription in Japan.

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