Japan marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Self-Defense Forces on Monday. The country’s defense institutions are grappling with sweeping policy changes and challenges ranging from military recruitment to the increasingly assertive Chinese military.
In a statement released on the anniversary of the founding of the SDF and the Defense Agency – the precursor to today’s Ministry of Defense – defense chief Minoru Kihara vowed to continue working to build confidence in the ostensibly pacifist country’s armed forces amid “the most serious and complicated security environment of the postwar era.”
“As Minister of Defense, I am committed to working with members of our armed forces so that we can continue to live up to the trust and expectations of the people,” Kihara said Monday.
