Minister of Defense Succession Ceremony

The new Suga cabinet was formed on September 16th and the House of Representatives member Nobuo Kishi was appointed as the 21st Minister of Defense.

On September 17th, newly-appointed Minister Kishi arrived at the Ministry of Defense (MOD) where he was presented the salute from the guards of honor. He then gave instructions to the officials at the inauguration ceremony. In his address, Minister Kishi expressed his enthusiasm in a statement saying; “I am deeply honored to be assigned the duty of defending Japan alongside the 250,000 members of the MOD/Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). Defense is the foundation of our nation’s existence and I am reminded of the weight of that responsibility.

As you are well aware, the security environment surrounding Japan is shifting at an extremely rapid pace, and is growing increasingly severe and uncertain.

In addition, new domains such as space, cyberspace, and electromagnetic spectrum have become vital, and advanced technologies that are possible game changers are to fundamentally alter the face of national security.

Furthermore, Japan has experienced large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes and record downpours frequently occurred in recent years.

To respond to these severe circumstances, I will do my utmost to fulfill my role alongside everyone to protect the lives of the people of Japan and ensure their peaceful living and to contribute to the peace and stability in the international community.

To uphold the responsibilities entrusted to us by the people, I would like for us to maintain a high recognition of ethics, to devote ourselves to diligent self-improvement, and to cooperate to fulfill our duties to the utmost.”

The following day, a succession procedure was performed in which the former minister passed his duties onto the new minister.