About Ministry

Biographical Sketch

Minister of Defense


KIHARA Minoru

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State Minister of Defense


ONIKI Makoto

Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense


MIYAKE Shingo

MATSUMOTO Hisashi

Organization of the Ministry of Defense (MOD)/Self-Defense Forces (SDF)

To fulfill its mission of defending Japan, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) consists of various organizations, including the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces as armed forces, Internal Bureau that assists the Minister of Defense, Joint Staff, the Ground, Maritime, and Air Staff Offices, and Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency.

Organizations such as National Defense Academy, National Defense Medical College, National Institute for Defense Studies, Defense Intelligence Headquarters, Inspector General’s Office of Legal Compliance, and eight Regional Defense Bureaus are also composing elements of the structure of the MOD/SDF.

History

On January 9, 2007, 53 years after the establishment of the Defense Agency in 1954, the Ministry of Defense was born.

1950.7.8 General Macarthur authorizes the establishment of the National Police Reserve.
1951.9.8 49 countries sign Peace Treaty with Japan.
1952.8.1 National Safety Agency established.
1952.8.1 National Safety College (predecessor of the National Institute for Defense Studies) established.
1952.8.1Technical Research and Development Institute established.
1952.10.15National Safety Force inaugurated.
1953.4.1National Safety Academy (predecessor of National Defense Academy) established.
1954.7.1Defense Agency established; Ground, Maritime, and Air self-Defense Forces inaugurated.
1954.7.1Central Procurement Office (predecessor of Central Contract Office) established
1962.11.1Defense Facilities Administration Agency established.
1974.4.25National Defense Medical College established.
1997.1.20Defense Intelligence Headquarters established.
2000.5.8Defense Agency moves to the Ichigaya buildings.
2007.1.9Transition to the Ministry of Defense.
2015.10.1Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency established.