Special Naval Landing Forces in the context of "Imperial Japanese Navy land forces"

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN); Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun, 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender in World War II. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) was formed between 1952 and 1954 after the dissolution of the IJN.

The IJN was the third largest navy in the world by 1920, behind the Royal Navy and the United States Navy (USN). It was supported by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for reconnaissance and airstrike operations from the fleet. It was the primary opponent of the Western Allies in the Pacific War. The IJN additionally fielded limited land-based forces, including professional marines, marine paratrooper units, anti-aircraft defense units, installation and port security units, naval police units, and ad-hoc formations of sailors pressed into service as naval infantry.

Japanese marine paratroopers were the airborne forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. The paratroopers served under the Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai or Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF), the professional marines of the IJN; The SNLF itself was one of several land-based units fielded by the IJN during the interwar period and World War II. Upon the Empire of Japan's defeat in World War II, all IJN land forces were disbanded alongside the IJN proper in 1945. SNLF paratroopers should not be confused with the Imperial Japanese Army's paratroopers, known as Teishin Shudan.

SNLF paratroopers formed two battalions and were operationally subordinated to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. SNLF airborne units were only organized on the very eve of the war, beginning in September 1941. The lightly armed parachute units were intended to be employed in ‘lightning’ strikes and raids in support of short-term strategic objectives. They were not meant to become entangled in heavy pitched battles; they were, however, utilized in such roles as the Japanese military became increasingly desperate for quality troops in the later stages of World War II.