National Oct 6, 2020
Barbecue party suspected as cause of infections among GSDF personnel
Twenty-nine female GSDF members who participated in an educational course between early July and late September have tested positive for the virus.
National Jul 10, 2020
GSDF starts deploying controversial Ospreys to Chiba amid safety protests in Saga
The controversial U.S.-made tilt-rotor aircraft are expected to stay at Camp Kisarazu for up to five years before moving to Saga Prefecture.
National Jun 27, 2020
Japan's GSDF to deploy first Ospreys to Camp Kisarazu in Chiba next month
The controverial tilt-rotor transport aircraft are being sent to Chiba after talks with fishermen in Saga Prefecture didn't go so well.
National Jan 26, 2020
The Ground Self-Defense Force and U.S. Marine Corps held a ceremony on Sunday to mark the occasion of their joint exercises taking place in Hokkaido. The drills began last Wednesday and will continue until Feb. 8. Two of the Marine Corps' Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft, ...
National Dec 11, 2019
After errors in Akita plan, Japan may pick new site for U.S.-developed missile defense system
The government leans toward reviewing its current plan to deploy the U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system in the city of Akita due to strong local opposition.
National / Politics Mar 26, 2019
GSDF launches new bases in Kagoshima and Okinawa for defense of Japan's southwestern islands
The Ground Self-Defense Force launched new camps on Amami Oshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture and Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture on Tuesday, as part of its moves to enhance the defense of southwestern islands in the country. The camps will take charge of first response ...
National / Politics Mar 5, 2019
Head of Japan's ground forces discusses defense cooperation with Philippine counterpart
The chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force met with his Philippine counterpart on Monday and discussed defense cooperation and regional security. Gen. Koji Yamazaki held talks with Maj. Gen. Macairog Alberto at the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, one of two military ...
National Jun 16, 2018
Over 600 Japanese troops, including the MSDF's version of the U.S. Marines, will join the RIMPAC naval exercises to coordinate a defense of Japan's Nansei islands.
National / Politics May 15, 2018
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Tuesday that Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures are candidate sites for installations of the Aegis Ashore anti-ballistic missile defense system, naming specific prefectures for the first time. On Monday regional bureaus of the Defense Ministry contacted the two prefectural governments, asking ...
National Apr 17, 2018
The word ‘combat’ appeared multiple times in nearly 15,000 pages of logs detailing missions by the GSDF to support reconstruction efforts in the war-torn country.
National / Politics Apr 6, 2018
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Onodera pledged to further probe the ministry’s careless handling of data and promised to announce the result as soon as possible.
National / Politics Apr 5, 2018
by Tomohiro Osaki and Daisuke Kikuchi
The ministry acknowledged the activity logs, from an Iraq mission, had been kept hidden from top officials for more than a year ,despite an earlier claim that they didn’t exist.