Ministry of Defense (Japan)

The Ministry of Defense ( Bei-sh) is a cabinetlevel ministry of the Government of Japan. It is headquartered in Ichigaya, Shinjuku, Tokyo, and is the largest
organ of the Japanese government. Headed by the
Minister of Defense, the ministry is required by Article 66 of the Constitution to be completely subordinate
to civilian authority. Before its transition to a cabinetlevel ministry, it was named the Defense Agency (
Bei-ch), an agency of the Cabinet Oce.

ject to the consent of the Diet. In times of extreme emergency, that approval might be obtained after the fact.* [1]
In July 1986, the Security Council was established. The
council is presided over by the Prime Minister and includes the Ministers of State specied in advance in Article 9 of the Cabinet Law; the Foreign Minister, the Finance Minister, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, the chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, the director general of the Defense Agency, and the director
general of the Economic Planning Agency. The chairman of the Security Council also can invite the chairman
of the Joint Sta Council and any other relevant state
minister or ocial to attend. Replacing the National Defense Council, which had acted as an advisory group on
defense-related matters since 1956, the Security Council
addresses a wider range of military and nonmilitary security issues, including basic national defense policy, the
National Defense Program Outline, the outline on coordinating industrial production and other matters related
to the National Defense Program Outline, and decisions
on diplomatic initiatives and defense operations.* [1]

History

The internal bureaus, especially the Bureau of Defense

Policy, Bureau of Finance, and the Bureau of Equipment,
are often headed by ocials from other ministries and
are the main centers of power and instruments of civilian
control in the Defense Agency. The Bureau of Defense
Policy is responsible for drafting defense policy and programs, for determining day-to-day operational activities,
and for information gathering and analysis in the JSDF.
The Bureau of Finance is instrumental in developing the
Defense Agency budget and in establishing spending priorities for the Defense Agency and the JSDF. The Bureau of Equipment, organized into subunits for each of
the military services, focuses on equipment procurement.
Before any major purchase is recommended to the Diet
by the Defense Agency, it has to be reviewed by each of
these bureaus.* [1]

The Imperial Japanese Army Academy in Ichigaya, Tokyo(

), built by the second French Military Mission
to Japan, on the ground of today's Ministry of Defense (1874
photograph).

The Ministry of Defense is headquartered in Ichigaya,

Shinjuku, Tokyo, on a site which housed the Imperial
Japanese Army Academy ( ), built in
1874, the GHQ of the Imperial Japanese Army before
and during World War II, and of the Ground Self-Defense
Force following the war. The Japanese Defense Agency
was established on July 1, 1954. Until May 2000, it
was based in Akasaka (currently occupied by Tokyo Mid- Below these civilian groups are the uniformed JSDF pertown).
sonals. Its senior ocer is the chairman of the Joint
The Ministry of Defense is required by Article 66 of the Sta Oce, a body that included the chiefs of sta of
Constitution to be completely subordinate to civilian au- the ground, maritime, and air arms of the Self-Defense
thority. Its head has the rank of Minister of State. He is Forces. Its principal functions are to advise the direcassisted by two vice ministers, one parliamentary and one tor general and to plan and execute joint exercises. The
administrative; the Defense Facilities Bureau; and the in- three branches maintain sta oces to manage operaternal bureaus. The highest gure in the command struc- tions in their branches. Although rank establishes echeture is the Prime Minister, who is responsible directly to lons of command within the JSDF, all three branches are
the National Diet. In a national emergency, the Prime immediately responsible to the director general and are
with the Joint Sta Oce and the three
Minister is authorized to order the various components coequal bodies
*
[1]
sta
oces.
of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) into action, sub1

2
This structure precludes the concentration of power of the
pre-1945 Imperial General Sta (and the Supreme War
Council) general stas, but it impedes interservice coordination, and there are few formal exchanges among commanders from various branches. Moreover, some dissatisfaction has been reported by highranking ocers who
feel they have little power compared with younger civilian
ocials in the bureaus, who most often have no military
experience. To rectify this situation and to increase input
by the JSDF in policy matters, in the early 1980s the Joint
Sta Oce was enlarged to establish better lines of communication between the internal bureaus and the three
sta oces. A computerized central command and communications system and various tactical command and
communications systems were established, linking service and eld headquarters with general headquarters at
the Defense Agency and with one another.* [1]

3 SENIOR OFFICIALS
tus of the Defense Agency to a Cabinet-level Defense
Ministry.* [2] The Diet's House of Councillors had voted
by a majority, including the opposition Democratic Party
of Japan, to amend the change.* [3] Bills on transition to
the Ministry of Defense became laws on December 15,
2006. Only the Japanese Communist Party and the Social
Democratic Party opposed the change, claiming that it
can lead Japan into a future war.* [3] The MOD was formally established on January 9, 2007, taking its present
name and status as a ministry.* [4] Subsequently, its Defense Facilities Administrative Agency was dissolved and
integrated into the MOD.* [5]
In July 2007, the MOD building was attacked by a 21year-old right-wing activist, who threw a Molotov cocktail in the direction of the building, after forcing his way
through the main gate.* [6]

In the 1980s, eorts were also under way to facilitate

a clear and ecient command policy in the event of a 2 Ministers
crisis. The government stood by the principle that military action was permitted only under civilian control,
but in recognition that delay for consultation might prove The Ministers in the Ministry of Defense are as follows:
dangerous, ships of the Maritime Self-Defense Force
(JMSDF) began to be armed with live torpedoes, and
Minister of Defense ()
ghter-interceptors were allowed to carry missiles at all
State Minister of Defense ()
times. Although aircraft had long been allowed to force
down intruders without waiting for permission from the
Parliamentary Vice-Ministers of Defense (
prime minister, ships were still required to receive spe)
cic orders before interdicting invading vessels. The Defense Agency had recommended drawing up more complete guidelines to clarify what action JSDF combat units
could take in emergencies.
3 Senior ocials
Cooperation between the JSDF and other civilian agencies in contingency planning is limited. No plans exist to 3.1 Senior Advisers
ensure the support of civilian aircraft and merchant eets
in times of crisis, even though the JSDF transportation The Senior Advisers to the Minister of Defense are senior
capabilities are generally judged inadequate. In 1990 leg- policy advisers to the Minister of Defense.
islation was being studied to provide the JSDF with the
ability to respond in emergency situations not specically
Senior Advisers to the Minister of Defense (
covered by Article 76 of the Self-Defense Forces Law.
)
JSDF training includes instilling a sense of mission. Personnel are provided with the scientic and technical education to operate and maintain modern equipment and 3.2 Special Advisers
with the physical training necessary to accomplish their
The Special Advisers to the Minister of Defense are spemissions.
cial policy advisers to the Minister of Defense.
Modern equipment is gradually replacing obsolescent
matriel in the JSDF. In 1987, the Defense Agency re Special Advisers to the Minister of Defense (
placed its communications system (which formerly had
)
relied on telephone lines of the Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Corporation) with a microwave network incorporating a three-dimensional transmission system using
a communications satellite. Despite eorts to increase 3.3 Vice Minister and other ocials
stocks, however, supplies of ammunition and maintenance and repair parts in 1990 remained at less than sat- The Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense, the senior
civil-servant at the Ministry of Defense, has the role of
isfactory levels.
coordinating the aairs of the Ministry and of supervising
The National Diet had passed into law the change of stathe Ministry's bureaus and organs.

3
Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense (
)

Defense Personnel Review Board (

)

Vice-Minister of Defense for International Aairs

()

Review Board on the Recognition of Prisoner of

War Status ()

Private Secretary of the Minister of Defense (

)

Evaluation Committee for Incorporated Administrative Agencies ()

Defense Procurement Council ()

3.4

Chiefs of Sta

The Chief of Sta, Joint Sta is the highest-ranking military ocer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and the senior military adviser to the Minister of Defense and the
Government. He is supported by the Vice Chief of Sta,
Joint Sta and by the chiefs of sta of the three service
branches of the Self Defense Forces. He is appointed by
the Minister of Defense, approval by the Cabinet.
Chief of Sta, Joint Sta ()
Vice Chief of Sta, Joint Sta ()
Chief of Sta of the Japan Ground Self Defense
Force ()
Chief of Sta of the Japan Maritime Self Defense
Force ()
Chief of Sta of the Japan Air Self Defense Force
()

Organization

Facilities, etc. ()
National Defense Academy ()
National Defense Medical College (
)
National Institute for Defense Studies (
)
Extraordinary Organs ()
Defense Council ()
Joint Sta Oce ()
Joint Sta College ()
Ground Sta Oce ()
Maritime Sta Oce ()
Air Sta Oce ()
Ground Self Defense Force ()
Maritime Self Defense Force ()

The Ministry of Defense includes a number of organizations:

Air Self Defense Force ()

Internal Bureaus ()

Technical Research and Development Institute (

)

Minister's Secretariat ()
Bureau of Defense Policy ()
Bureau of Operational Policy ()
Bureau of Personnel and Training ()
Bureau of Finance and Equipment ()
Bureau of Local Cooperation ()
Councils, etc. ()

Defense Intelligence Headquarters ()

Equipment Procurement and Construction Oce

()
Inspector General's Oce of Legal Compliance (
)
Foreign Military Supply Tribunal (
)
Common Institutions ()
Self Defense Forces Central Hospital (
)

Self Defense Forces Personnel Ethics Review Board

()

Self Defense Forces District Hospitals (

)

Central Council on Defense Facilities (

)

Self Defense Forces Physical Training School (

)

7
Self Defense Forces Provincial Cooperation Oces
()

Common Units ()
Self Defense Forces C4 Systems Command (
)
Self Defense Forces Intelligence Security Command
()
Local Branch Bureaus ()
Regional Defense Bureaus ()
Examples: Okinawa Defense Bureau ()
Naha Regional Defense Facilities Administration Bureau ()
Incorporated Administrative Agencies ()
Labor Management Organization for USFJ Employees ()

See also
Japan Self-Defense Forces
Defense Diplomacy
International Peace Cooperation Activities Training
Unit
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
United States Forces Japan

References
This article incorporates public domain material
from websites or documents of the Library of
Congress Country Studies. - Japan

[1] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:
@field%28DOCID+jp0280%29
[2] Hiroshi Hiyama (2007-01-09). Japan Launches First
Defense Ministry Since WWII. Space War.
[3] Harumi Ozawa (2006-11-30). Breaking Taboo, Japan
Votes To Create Defense Ministry. Space War.
[4] About Ministry. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
[5] Special Feature: The Defense Agency's Transition to
the Ministry of Defense. Japanese Ministry of Defense.
January 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
[6] Japan creates defense ministry. Japan News Review.
2007-07-25. External link in |publisher= (help)

EXTERNAL LINKS

7 External links
Ministry of Defense
Coordinates:
139.728E

354135N 1394341E / 35.693N

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Ministry of Defense (Japan) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defense_(Japan)?oldid=715181462 Contributors: Altenmann, Sekicho, Tobias Bergemann, Per Honor et Gloria, Andycjp, Kusunose, Fg2, Loren36, Zscout370, Kross, Mochi~enwiki, Tachitsuteto, Alansohn, Mailer diablo, LordAmeth, MC MasterChef, Gryndor, Tangotango, Soredewa, ChongDae, Chobot, YurikBot, Borgx,
RussBot, Bmhcjs, Mkill, SmackBot, Ominae, Zerstuckelung, J o, Lombroso, Seann, Hmains, Jprg1966, Rigadoun, Igossow, Aldis90,
Thijs!bot, Bobblehead, Therequiembellishere, Tocino, AntiVandalBot, Minggieming, VoABot II, Puddhe, The Anomebot2, BilCat, Johnpacklambert, Plasticup, VolkovBot, Guardian Tiger, Ichitaro, BilabialBoxing, RafaAzevedo, Ficbot, PixelBot, Muhandes, Jnnoln, Addbot,
LatitudeBot, VSteiger, Kapstadt, Jarble, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Reenem, AnomieBOT, Ciphers, Josephus37, GrouchoBot, Some standardized
rigour, FrescoBot, Awakko, Degen Earthfast, Jandalhandler, Full-date unlinking bot, Clyde2020, Xbypass, Misakubo, John of Reading,
GoingBatty, Switchback dinamite, Geo47, Beryllium1984, Nissy-KITAQ, HIDECCHI001, Lvilnis, TheInfernoX, ChrisGualtieri, Egeymi,
KasparBot and Anonymous: 41

8.2

Images

File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

File:Flag_of_Japan.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Go-shichi_no_kiri_crest.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Go-shichi_no_kiri_crest.svg License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: own work, based on Image:5 7kiri01.png Original artist: Sakurambo
File:IchigayaMilitaryAcademy1874.jpg
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/
IchigayaMilitaryAcademy1874.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Soie et LumiereOriginal artist: Christian Polak
File:Ministry_of_Defense.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Ministry_of_Defense.JPG License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: 's le (self-made) Original artist:
File:Question_book-new.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Question_book-new.svg License: Cc-by-sa-3.0
Contributors:
Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist:
Tkgd2007
File:Translation_to_english_arrow.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Translation_to_english_arrow.
svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work, based on :Image:Translation_arrow.svg. Created in Adobe Illustrator CS3 Original
artist: tkgd2007

8.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0