the Great East Japan Earthquake

The Great East Japan Earthquake and great Tsunami happened at March 11 in 2011. After that, large scale rescue operations was carried out by Japanese Self Defence Forces, and army from many countries. The main contents of that operation are rescue of human life, helping lives of earthquike and Tsunami victims and the disposal of debris. The number of the people who were rescued by Japanese Self Defence Forces is about 10000 for 4 days. This number is very great number. Ground Self Defence Force's activities were transportation of supplies, for example foods, water, fuel, bath and so on, rescue, making a search of missing people and the disposal of debris on the ground. Maritime Self Defence Force's activities were transportation of supplies by ships, making a search of missing people and the disposal of debris in the sea. Air Self Defence Force's activities were transportation of supplies by plane, rescue and making a search of missing people from the air. And, Defence Academy accepted refugees who had lost their house and other many propaties. Musical unit in each Self Defence Force played to refugees to console victims and soothed the soul of them.

The most important activity of Self Defence Force is dealing with the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The contents of them special duties were confirmation of whether people still stay or not, screening of members, virhicle, aircraft, building, and so, making a search of missing people in the area contaminated with radioactivity and cooling of nuclear reacters in that nuclear power plant. In these duties, the duty that Self Defence Force had most trouble with is cooling of nuclear reacters. Most of the members who engaged in that duty voluntarily applied heedless of danger so I respected them very much and had interest in them. When they cooled nuclear reacters, they used fire engines and helicopters and flooded that with water. But, when they were struggled to finish that a emergency situation, the Prime Minister Kan flied on that nuclear power plant by helicopter and Self Defence Force could not flood that with water, and they lived in harsh environment, for example skimpy meals and places of rest after their work. Not only Japanese Self Defence Force but also armies from many other countries, Japanese fire brigades and so on participate in that duty so I think that this disaster robbed many people of many things and lives but that a lot of countries all of the world helped Japan and Japanese in a body is very wanderful and welcome. Japanese Self Defence Force accomplished many great achievements but Japanese mass media reported damages from that disaster and did not reported such their achievements so we do not know very well. I think that we have to know their achievement and render thanks to them because they made efforts for us. We are usually used to the existence of Self Defence Force so we always have not to forget great benefit of them. I am grad if you know the value of and have interest in Self Defence Force.

rank

The rank of military and Self Defence Force is ordained to make a vertical relationship in organization clear. The rank of executive is given to the people who have higher rank than second lieutenant (I) and those people lead members of that organization. Incidentally, The ranks that are higher than second lieutenant are general (Sho) and major (Sa). The officers of the rank in the class of “Sou” occupy all self defence officials and are just self defence power itself. The each officers of “Sou” have special talent and are covered with the middle standing of Self Defence Force's tasks. They can become executive by passing of the examination after 4 years since assumption of “sou”. “Jun I” is the rank from sergent major. Sergent major is called “So Tyo”. The members of this rank are professional of many kind of skill. They can become executive after 3 years since they assumed office. And, Student can through the examination after 4 years, Cadet can through the examination after 2 years. While as for military member, the number of soldier is most, as for Self Defence Force, the number of “So” who have high technique. This mean that the ability of Japanese Self Defence Force is superior to other country's military. In each Self Defence Force, the number of rank is 16. The official positions around sergeant major are called military cadet. The positions that are higher than that are executive. From the top, 16 ranks are “Sho”, “Sho Ho”, “Itto Sa”, “Nito Sa”, “Santo Sa”, “Itto I”, “Nito I”, “Santo I”, “Jun I”, “So Tyo”, “Itto So”, ”Nito So”, “Santo So”, “Shi Tyo”, “Itto Shi”,and “Nito Shi”. By the way, That I wrote these name by the pronunciation of Japanese is intentional. These ranks are in Ground, Maritime, and Air Self Defence Force and the names of these ranks have “Riku”, “Kai”,and “Ku”. In military, for example, there are three kinds of “Sho” but in Self Defence Force, “Sho” is only one in each unit. But, there are many numbers of the official post or work of that each rank. The epaulets that indicate rank of Ground and Air Self Defence Force resemble and is different in regard of color. The epaulet of “Sho” is composed by sters, The epaulet of “Sa” is composed by sters and 2 bers. The epaulet of “I” is composed by sters and one ber. These epaulets express first, second and third by the number of sters. The epaulet of “So” is composed by one ster and bers. The epaulet of “Shi” is composed by one ster and curved bers. These epaulet express first, second and third by the number of the bers. As to Maritime Self Defence Forces, all epaulet express by the number of bers. As to the ranks that are highert than “Jun I”, there are epaulet and sleeve badge.

scandal

The scandal in army, Self Defence Force, the department of defence, defence agency and so on are called the Defence Scandal. That contents are sorted into personal problems and organizational problems. Personal problems are for example a sex crime, violence, theft, embezzlement, drinking and driving, drug and so on. And, organizational problems are for example adhesion, covering up the scandal, bribery, advanced agreement and so on. Though Self Defence Forces are to nation and people, there are some bad people in these members. I like Japanese Self Defence Force so I hate such scandal and think that they must prevent happenning of these scandals. I decided to write about scandals because I think that if we know Japanese Self Defence Forces, we have to know not only good things on the surface but also the hidden side of bad things about these.

Introduction of theirs mainly scandal that have happened so far

In 1983, the case of Douglas Grumman : This case is the corruption case of purchase of battle planes between Japan and America. At first, when Japan introduced battle planes, adopting of planes made in America was definite. After that, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pressed charges against that battle plane company, that company gave Japanese government official 15,000 dollors for selling theirs battle planes.

In 1988, Nadashio incident : This incident is accident too because this insident is collision of Maritime Self Defence Force's submarine “Nadashio” and a fishing boat and that fishing boat sank. The number of deaths was 30 of 48 (excess over capacity of that fishing boat) crews. But, on that time, theirs rescue and furnishing of information were late and they were suspected that the captain rewrote the ship's journal, and they met with severe criticism from many people after that time. The Chief Defence Agency in that time assumed responsibility for something and resigned his post. Besides that, the respomsible person of not only Nadashio but also that fishing boat was judged as guilty in 1992.

In 2000, the case of Bogatenkov : The contents of this case is that Bogatenkov, agent of the intelligence organ of Russian Federales Generalnogo “Shtaba Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije”, spied into Shigehiro Hagisaki , the commander of Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. Bogatenkov contacted Shigehiro Hagisaki at the International Security Symposium and then, he had a close relationship with Shigehiro and got a lot of classified information of Japanese Self Defence Forces through Shigehiro. Before that time, police had suspected Bogatenkov as spy of Shtaba Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije so Shigehiro was put under guard. After that, they were secured, and Shigehiro was arrested but Bogatenkov ignored that and went back to Russia. Through this case, preparation for preservation of the Defense Agency's secret came to the problem and the Defence Agency established Information Preservation Unit in 2003 to fortify with preservation of secret information.

In not only Self Defence Force but also many government agency, many scandals have happened. I think that these problems can not but happen in any organizations and we have to know these

problems to decrease.

music

Japanese Ministry of Defence and each Japanese Self Defence Force unit make public marches and the song of Self Defence Force. While that, each unit composes and make the song of unit. In Defence Academy, the song of all units is sung because this academy trains the executive members of Ground, Maritime and Air Self Defence Force in the future. The musical bands of each unit often hold a regular concert and other activities.

Introduction of my favorite musics

“Ozora” : This music was composed and played for the first anniversary ceremony of the Police Reserve Force.

“Battotai” : This music described the achievements of the Drawn Sword Squad in during the Seinan Warn and was writen by Seiiti Sotoyama. And, this music was composed by Charles Edouard Gabriel Leroux. This music is the martial music on the earlist state and full dress European music so this music had an impact on many music after this season. This is much accomplished work and sung by many people.

“Husoka” : This music was composed by Charles Edouard Gabriel Leroux too. Husou expresses Japan, and this music praises and cheers Japan and Japanese.

Army marches : This music is the symbol of Japan Self Defence Force, and constructed of “Battotai” and “Husoka”. The first half is the arrangement of Husoka, and the another half is the arrangement of Battotai but most of this music is constracted of Battotai. In the World War Ⅱ, the Japanese intelligence office ordered to exclude the musics of enemy countries, but Japanese government hid the name of Charles Edouard Gabriel Leroux and this music was played openly.

Warship March “Gunkan” : This is the music that is remade from the march had been made by the Navy Department. At Maritime Self Defence Force's march and ceremony for example the launching of a ship, this music is played. This music was very popular music and used as back ground music of Pachinko and Slot shop. And, this music is very popular in other many countries too so used as the back ground music of commercial messages, many shops and so on.

“Soranoseiei” : Air Self Defence Dorce had adopted American march “Bravura” as march but made this music as public march in 1992 when 40 years had passed since the establishment of Japan Air Self Defence Force. In marching in review celemony, this music is played.

“Hisho” : This music is Defence Academy's music donated by Defence Academy's Alumni Association as the commemoration of 50^th annivrsary. This music described the students of Defence Academy who get over severe rules, training and living in particular environment and become strong and respectable.

“Gaisen” : This music is made as the memorial march of Japan Ground Self Defence Force's 50^th annivrsary. In Self Defence Force's band marching in review celemony, this music is played.

There are many wonderful musics that there are not in this writing. If you interest these, can you listen to these music?

ration

Then I must begin, I explane what the ration is. The ration is the meal that soldiers eat when they are in the distant lands from their base camp or ships and the area without food. Japanese Self Defence Force's ration is very excellent and delicious, if seen globally. In PKO in Cambodia, that ration won the victory wonderfully in contest of ration. I wish I want to eat Japanese Self Defence Force's ration at once. The ration that I want to eat the most is chicken Kamameshi. I think that the development of that ration was incredibly difficult.

In 1951, Police Reserve Force was founded, and a small hard dry biscuit was adopted as emergency rations at first. In about 1954, Japan being influenced by that in the USA, destribution started by unit type. Three meals were destributed in a day but, like america, cigar, gum, dairy necessaries and so on were not destributed.

In about 1952, for Japanese living mainly on rice, the can of rice was adopted. As the food both staple food and side dishes, for example, the can of fried rice and so on were adopted but these's taste was not so delicious so they became tired of these and these were indigestible food. Now, these are delicious and easy to digest, and as side dishes, 2 canned foods are destributed.

Introducion of Rations

Type Ⅰ: The rations of this type are canned foods.

Chicken rice (torimeshi): This is tattered without heating so you have to heat this in boiling water for 25 minutes or above.

Steamed rice with red beans (sekihan) : For eating this, heating is necessary too. This was born in before long time.

Corned beef : This is normal corned beef but contains mix vegetables. When you eat it, you may as well as heat it. This becomes soup adding boiling water of the quantity of double.

Yellow picked radish (Takuan) : This is said to be the best masterpiece of all type Ⅰration. This is cut thick and delicious.

Small hard dry biscuit (kanpan) : This instead of a general that. This keeps you going long.

Orange spread : This is for energy supply rapidly. This has refreshing scent and sweetness so this seems to be very delicious and like honey.

Hamburger steak : This is more meatball than hamburger, not juicy and very salty so this is not so popular too.

Type Ⅱ: The ration of this type is retort foods.

Beef curry and rice : This is major retort food and popular stably

sweet and sour pork (subuta) : This seasoning is thick so white rice fits this. Pork in this likes meatball so this food is not so popular Members want solid chicken.

Chicken steak : This likes chicken boiled in water so is not so popular. But, german potato salad in this seems to be very delicious.

It seems that we can buy these foods in Self Defence Force's festival. If you have interest, how about buying these?

vehicle,ship,plain

I chose the things that I had interest in.

Japan Ground Self Defence Force

type 90 tank : This is main tank in Ground Self Defence Force. This can shoot at night by infrared night vision device and while running. This tank can load by itself so this eliminates the need of loader then crews decrease from 4 to 3, but thanks to decrease of the number of crew, the maintenance of this comes to take time.

Type 89 armored fighting vehicles : Armored fighting vehicle resemble tank. The difference between armored fighting vehicle and tank is in original role. Tank's role is mainly defence of the infrantries going, but armored fighting vehicle's role is the taxi for them to go to their destination, in a manner of speaking. This equiped weapons for them to fight them being in this.

High mobile car : This is the car we often look in many situation and major car. Thanks to 4WS, this, however this is big, can easily turn in a small circle. This equips the run flat tire so this car can run as usual if this tire is shot.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force

The escort warship “ise” : This escort warship was completed at March 16^th in 2011 that five days in the Great East Japan Earthquake. This is laden with many helicopters, and these helicopters leave this ship in many situation. The weapons on this ship are very substantial. It is no exaggeration to say that this ship is an aircraft for helicopter.

Patrol helicopter type SH-60K : This is the latest model and equips the low frequency sonar, Advanced Helicopter Combat Direction and so on. And, the weapons that this helicopter has are torpedo, anti submarine bom and anti ship missile “Hell Fire”, the number of weapons increased then before.

Submarine “Oyashio” : This adopted the form of not teardrop as of old but ciger. Thanks to the equipment called Flank Array Sonar, this submarine itself is a sonar and members can observe sound waves from all directions in the sea. And, this equips acoustic material that absorbs the sound of sonar from enemy ship and puts this submarine into stealth state. The weapon this submarine equips is torpedo and the number of this is 6.

Japan Air Self Defence Force

The battle plane type F-15J and DJ : This battle plane is adopted in not only Japan but also all the countries of the world and then is main battle plane until now. This has been improved since start of development and type J and DJ is adopted in Japan.

Reconnaissance plane type RF-4EJ : This plane make a reconnaissance of a enemy's position by pod under the plane. This is the plain that battle plane type F4-EJ was repaired to.

The chuckwagon : This car belongs to not Ground Self Defence Force but Air Self Defence Force. Members can cook 200 meals at one time. This is used for members in outdoor training, victims by the disaster and so on. The meal that they often cook by this is boiled, but roasted food is not made much because it is troublesome to clear cooking devices.

weapon and equipment

I chose the weapon and equipment that I take an interest in.

Japan Ground Self Defence Force

9mm Handgun : The commanders who is higher than a company commander, the gunners of anti tank firearms and the member of a tank carry this for self defence. Recently, regular member have carried this too. This gun is selected for them by several companies uncommonly. This gun can charge 10 bullets at one time.

81mm mortar L16 : This mortar is adopted in not only Japan but also each countries. The parts of this morear is made of aluminium alloy to improve the firing range and lighten weight. It is easy to take to pieces and carry this.

87 style Anti tank guided missile : This is the first missile which is adopted the way to guid by laser in missiles made in Japan. This is small and light so member can carry easily and shoot on shoulder.

Against cannon rader JTPS-P16 : The field military unit mainly equips this rader. This is equipped on 7t truck to move easily and can evaluate many shells and missiles in big area. And not only so, this is used to guide their shoot.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force

machine gun of 54 calibres and 127 millimeters : This is equepped on Aegis escort warship and so on, and this inside is perfectly unmanned and light and shoots automatically. This can load three different kinds of shells.

Anti ship or aircraft harpoon : This is launched from warship, moves upward by rocket boosters, removes that, flies close to sea surface by turbojet engine and dash into the target. This harpoon's hit probability is 95%.

Anti water rader OPS-28 : This rader is equipped on relatively new escort warship. This can detect the objects not only on the sea surface but also in the sea. The form of this antenna is parabolic cylinder.

Equipment of detecting and interfering electric wave : This, after prediction and analy of the electric wave coming, differentiates that, evaluates threat, make a record, and show these results. If that electric wave is the rader of missile guidance, this equipment produces the electric wave that interfered with that electric wave and heads off the attack of anti warship missile.

Machine of disposaling underwater mines S-7 type1 : The squad member's detecting the object like mine, this machine checks by supersonic waves and TV camera and disposal that by deverse ways depending in the specie of mine if they make a judgment on that object as underwater mine.

Japan Air Self Defence Force

Ground to air guided missile “patriot” PAC-3 : This is the latest “patriot”. By comparison to before version, the deameter of missile changed from 41 cm to 25 cm and the weight changed from 900 kg to 320 kg too. Thanks to that change, the number of loading missile changed from 4 to 16. This was deployed in various places of Japan when North Korea started experiment of ballistic missile in 2009.

Air to air missile with infrared homing device AIM-9L “sidewinder” : This is the latest air to air missile and relatively light so this is loaded by mortal power. By the way, weight is about 80 kg so loading is not easy by mortal power.

each position

Ground Self Defence Force

They keep defence by movement in mind. The main roles of Ground Self Defence Force are effective deterrence and response, effort to further stabilize the security environment of Asia Pacific region and efforts to improve global security environment.

The contents of first role are responce to the attacks to the part of island and by guerrilla and large scale and special disasters. They inhibit encroachment of country and defend country and people.

The contents of second role is the mutual efforts for peace and stability of the internatonal community. They do military training with other countries for playing of this role as a member of the international community and prepare for the contingency. In 311, they showed particular achievements to not only Japanese but also people throughout the world.

The contents of third role are peace keeping operations and disaster relief operations. They go to the poor countries or warring nations and do many support for example food support and medical service.

Maritime Self Defence Force

Japan is an island country surrounded by the sea on all sides so most threats come in Japan via that sea. And, we depend on foreign countries for most of suplies as the base of life of the people so it is easy for more threats to come in Japan.

The main roles of Maritime Self Defence Force are interception of the suspicious foreign ship's invation, emergency activities of help for devastated countries by earthquake or hurricane etc, and maintainance of the sea in not only Japan but also the world.

The first role is intended to defend Japan and Japanese as well as the other unit.

The second role is intended to help sufferers in every country and deepen friendship with many countries. Through that activity, in 311, Japan was given many relief supplies, hands and much donation. I think this is very grateful and flattering.

The third role is intended to clear the sea of pirates off the coast of Somalia. In that waters, security measures are not taken so pirates have appeared and commited robbery of the merchant ships that advances in that sea. Maritime Self Defence Force drive back and arrest them with armies in other countries.

Air Self Defence Force

Theirs roles are similar to other two unit. They make a desperate efforts to defend Japan and Japanese and maintain peace of the world. The duties of them are mainly the sea lane defence, dealing with affairs by large scale disasters, and building of international security.

The first duty is intended to defend Japan from foreign attack and invation from air. They intercept such aircrafts in airspace that is very far from country and prevent the nation and country from suffering damages.

The second duty is intended to help sufferer and protect property too. They who are the Air Self Defence Force mainly help and protect by the aircraft for examle aircraft carrier and helicopter from air.

The third duty is intended to maintain peace of the world and communicate through training and meeting with foreign Air Force as well as other unit. Through these campaign, they prepare for the contingency.

training

all unit's training

The basic forming into line or a manner of speaking is first training.

Many foreign language study is necessary to communicate to many people in those countries and active with them.

They go abroad to study to communicate to many foreign country, do trainings that are impossible to do in Japan, and study foreign language.

They do voluntarily training everyday for example running, weight training, or study of qualifications.

They practice how to use a gun. This is basic training in all section.

the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's training

Running and other many movement with weapon are really basic and important active in a field of a battle.

The way to defend own by weapon or physical combat is very important in not only a field of a battle but also dangerous countries.

Marching and marshal practice is to improve ability of group behavior then military practice in the outdoors becomes more efficient.

Nurce students practice basic methods as nurce.

The training of communications systems for example Morse code is for the member in training process of a special abilities.

Even Ground Self-Defense Force, some members practice pilotage of aircraft.

Theirs mlitary trainings are for example covert operations in mountain, commander, planning to movement and deployment.

During winter, they practice ski for sudden emergency in snow mountain, but some members look forward to that training.

They practice driving of special vehicles very powerful tank and heavy truck with many amazing functions and maintenance of these vehicles.

the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force

The most important training for Maritime Self-Defence Force is swimming. If they can't swim, they can't start training on sea. For them, the breaststroke is more important than the crawl. That way to swim is not so tire, so they can swim longer time.

They train on the battleship. The contents of this training are use of many machine and equipment and military practice with battleship.

The diving training is very important to investigate the sea bed, help the people who were stranded in the sunken ship, repair the broken part of ships and machineries.

the Japan Air Self-Defence Force

They practice way to maintain aircraft. This training is important to fly safely. They practice way to maintain radar too. This training is important to track suspecious objects for example plane and missile.

Speaking of the Air Self-Defence Force's training, I conceive flight training. This training is the most important and basic of theirs trainings.

The training by aircraft is, for example, air to air refueling. That serves in sudden accidents or for a frendly army's flying ships, but is very defficult for them to master perfectly.

They practice to predict weather. Knowledge of how is the weather everyday is important for flight even a weather forecast.

The training to control the operations of an airplane is very important for pilot to operate airplane in security and with efficiency.

They practice operating a machine gun to air. In this training, a live bullet is dangerous so they practice by the gun simulator.