"Shame on serving in the army": the Japanese defense forces feel a sharp lack of personnel

However, the number of Japan's self -defense forces has decreased by more than 7% since 1990 and was less than 230,000. The problems with the personnel of the Japanese forces are referred to in The Defense Post of October 11. The authors of the publication provide these groups of experts, according to which less than 4 thousand people were called to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Japan in 2022, which is more than half below the planned figure.

Thus there is an "extremely high" risk of weakening of the Japanese army due to lack of personnel. Viewers say that Japan is experiencing a kind of demographic crisis - every tenth inhabitant of the country is at the age of 80 and older. This is definitely reflected in the country's mobilization potential. But there are other problems, and one of them is the lack of a desire to serve in the army, including because of low salaries. "I was ashamed to say that I was serving self-defense.

It did not cause me any pride," said a former serviceman 45-year-old Yuichi Kimur, who now helps former soldiers to find civilian work. According to him, the moral spirit of the soldiers is low due to poor salary and the lack of ambitions in servicemen whose role after the Second World War was exclusively defensive in accordance with the Pacifist Constitution of Japan.

This situation has led to the fact that the Ministry of Defense, according to the media, reduced the standards during the recruitment in the army, in particular, during psychological tests, although the department says they are only recruiting relevant candidates. "The Defense Ministry is gaining almost everyone, because no one is expecting a real armed conflict," says the former Kimur paratrooper.

It is noted that the country's government increased the maximum age for new servicemen in 2018 from 26 to 32 years. They also received information that they will be entered into the army even with tattoos that indicate involvement in the "Yakudza" organization. In addition, Japan intends to increase the share of women in the army by 2030 by 13% of 9% now.

However, all these steps, including an advertising campaign, have little effect on the overall state of affairs in view of the scandals that have shocked society. In particular, it is about sexual harassment in the army. So the serviceman Rina Goni made loud statements about the abuse, which attracted the great attention of the Japanese. As a result, this led to the fact that in 2023, the number of women-women fell by 12%, although it has increased annually since 2017.

"In my mouth there were things that could have the same consequences. What parents would allow their daughter to join such an institution?" - says the former soldier Kodai Suzuki. According to the professor of military and gender sociology Fumika Sato, the army is "an environment that promotes harassment and sexual abuse. " Therefore, despite the efforts of the Ministry of Defense, there are significant differences with "reality on the ground" and with them Japanese officials will have to fight.