Japanese State Armed Forces
| Japanese State Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| 日本国軍隊 | |
 Flag of the Japanese State Army and Armed Forces | |
| Founded | 3 May 1952 |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Ministry of Defense, Tokyo, Japan |
| Leadership | |
| Prime Minister |
 Kazuma Amamiya |
| Minister of Defense |
 Tourei Saito |
| Chief of Staff, Joint Staff |
 General Saburo Kobayashi |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18–32 eligible for enlistment |
| Active personnel | 247,154 (2021) |
| Reserve personnel | 56,000 (2021) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Japan |
The Japanese State Armed Forces (日本国軍隊 Nippon-koku Guntai?), also referred to as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified military forces of Japan established in 1952. The Armed Forces consists of the Japanese State Army, the Japanese State Navy, and the Japanese State Air Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense, with the Prime Minister as commander-in-chief.
The Japanese State Armed Forces was established as a means of providing the necessary security and national defense to Japan to protect the country from any potential invasion or armed hostilities against the island nation, a risk that was deemed high due its close proximity to the People's Republic of China, a regional communist power during the latter half of the 20th century, and several other communist states in East Asia during the Cold War. As such, Japan was permitted to field a standing military, however it was to be defensive in nature and was supported by several western countries mainly by the Kingdom of Sierra, Astoria, Alaska, and the United Kingdom. During the Cold War, the Japanese State Armed Forces was focused on protecting Japan from a potential communist invasion, however it would be resttuctured in the 1990s as the Cold War began to die down.
In the present day, the JSAF has participated in several peacekeeping missions with the League of Nations and has developed close military ties with Manchuria and other members of the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization. Current issues surround rising tensions with China and the Sino-Manchurian conflict along with tensions between Japan and North Vietnam has caused Japan to increase its military ties with members states of the IPTO, Conference of American States, and the Antilles, however this has caused debate over the role of the JSAF and its relationship to modern Japanese society. As of 2021, the JSAF has 247,154 active personnel and an additional 56,000 in reserve.
History
20th Century
Following the end of the Great War, Japan was deprived of any military capabilities and was unilaterally disarmed following the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan and the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. The island nation would be subjected to a military occupation by the victorious Allied powers, primarily by the Kingdom of Sierra, the United Kingdom along with the Commonwealth of Nations, and other forces. Japan was only granted a small domestic policy force to ensure domestic security and deal with issues of crime and stability. Rising tensions in both Europe and Asia following the beginning of the Cold War, coupled with several leftist-inspired strikes across Japan, convinced many conservative political figures to question the disarmament of Japan and pushed for the Allies to allow the country to field some form of standing military force. In 1944, the National Police Reserve was established under Anglo-Sierran jurisdiction with 75,000 lightly armed infantry personnel. This was done after the People's Republic of China emerged as a major communist regional power and this combined with the creation of communist states in Manchuria and Indonesia left Japan in an extremely vulnerable position and open to a potential attack due to Japan lacking any major military capabilities, especially with the commitment of Anglo-Sierran troops to the Vietnam War in support of South Vietnam that occurred in early 1959.
21st Century
Structure
The Prime Minister of Japan is the official commander-in-chief of the Japanese State Armed Forces. Military authority runs through the Prime Minister to the Minister of Defense, a cabinet-level position in the national government who leads to the Ministry of Defense.
Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense are advised by the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff (Japanese: 統合幕僚長, Hepburn: Tōgō Bakuryō-chō), presently held by general Saburo Kobayashi, who leads the Joint Staff. The Joint Staff consists of the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, a senior enlisted advisor, the Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, an administrative Vice Chief of Staff, and several other departments and special staff. Each branch is lead by their own respective chiefs of staff; the Chief of Staff, Ground Staff for the Japanese State Army, Chief of Staff, Naval Staff for the Japanese State Navy, and Chief of Staff, Air Staff for the Japanese State Air Force.
Service branches
Service units
Uniforms, ranks, and insignia
Role in Japanese society
See also
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