Jul. 12—TOKYO ( The Straits Times/ANN) -Japan , once identified , China,  , North Korea , and , Russia , as its top risks in an annual defence report on , July 12, though its discharge was overshadowed by the departure of the top military official amid a flurry of crises.
The 548-page Defence White Paper, according to which , Japan , found itself in” the most severe and complex security environment of the postwar era”, comes as the Self-Defence Forces ( SDF) mark the 70th anniversary of their formation on , July 1, 1954.
However, a number of military scandals involving financial irregularities and problem as well as allegations of handling state secrets improperly and harassment of employees overshadowed the breakthrough.
The Defence Ministry , said on , July 12 , that it had punished 218 SDF people and senior officials, with 11 rejections, two demotions and 83 punishments. The rest either received give cuts, proper punishments, or instructions.
Top navy officer Admiral , Ryo Sakai , was sacked as the scandals had mainly centred on the Maritime Self-Defence Force ( MSDF).
Defence Minister , Minoru Kihara , said on , July 12 , that he would voluntarily give up one week’s income, adding:” The situations are a deception of the public’s faith and should never had happened. I am greatly guilty”.
Prime Minister , Fumio Kishida, in , Washington , for the Nato conference, even bowed and said he would never replace , Mr Kihara.
The SDF’s reputation is being tarnished by the controversies, which are also a sign that it is struggling to meet its selection goals.  , The Defence Ministry , said on , July 8 , that the Military hired really 9, 959 citizens in 2023 — or a record low 51 per cent of the intended 19, 598 employees.
Yet there is no magic bullet to a recruitment problem that will only become more acute amid , Japan ‘s , warnings of regional conflict.  , Japan , has no military conscription and only a small reserve force.
” Joining the military is not an attractive career path when war seems very possible”, Dr , Tosh Minohara, who chairs the , Research Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs , think-tank, told The Straits Times.
The Defence White Paper noted that the world is “facing its greatest trial” since 1945 as it raised the alarm over Chinese actions around  , Taiwan.
It described , China, with its” no limits” cooperation with , Russia , and opaque military growth, as “unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge to which , Japan , should respond with its comprehensive national power and in cooperation with its ally , the United States , and like-minded countries”.
It also repeated language from previous years about , North Korea ‘s , nuclear and ballistic missile development, and , Russia ‘s , invasion of , Ukraine.
While , Japan , has accused , China , of “undermining ( its ) maritime interests” with the installation of a buoy off its southernmost island,  , Tokyo , is now facing questions over its own actions.
A Japanese MSDF destroyer temporarily sailed into Chinese territorial waters off the eastern province of , Zhejiang , on , July 4,  , Kyodo News , cited diplomatic sources as saying on , July 10.
A Japanese official claimed that the incident could have been caused by a “procedural error” and that a Japanese official is still looking into it.
Regional tensions have prompted , Japan , to seek “multilateral and multilayered defence cooperation”, the White Paper said.
But experts like Professor , Heng Yee Kuang , of The , University of Tokyo ‘s , Graduate School of Public Policy , argue that the , Ukraine , war shows that “mass and quantity still matters” in terms of both arsenal and boots on the ground.
Despite headline-grabbing initiatives to relax hairstyle regulations, raise the enlistment age, and increase the involvement of retired officers, the SDF is under severe pressure given a persistent labor shortage. The private sector also promises more lucrative wages.
Its image problem is worsened by a toxic workplace environment. Sexual assaults are said to be commonplace, and uniformed officers and civilian bureaucrats in the SDF have caused psychological suffering to subordinates.
And then there are fatal training incidents, including a helicopter crash in , April 2024 , and an army range shooting in , June 2023.
Both , Dr Minohara , and , Prof Heng , said , Japan , could realistically consider filling its military ranks with foreigners like , the United States , and , Britain, offering perks such as a path to citizenship.
Dr , Satoru Nagao, a non-resident fellow at the , Hudson Institute , think-tank, also urged for dramatic increments to military wages that are currently pegged to the public service, which is also facing recruitment challenges.
While , Japan , has pledged to spend 43 trillion yen ( S$ 363.8 billion ) in a five-year plan announced in , December 2022 , to dramatically beef up its military capabilities,  , Dr Nagao , argued that a larger share could be allocated to wages.
Under the plan,  , Japan , will spend annually two per cent of its gross domestic product ( GDP ) — based on 2022 figures — on defence by , March 2028.  , Japan , will reach 1.6 per cent in the year ending , March 2025, with a record defence budget of 8.9 billion yen.
However, the five-year plan was created using an exchange rate of 108 yen to one US dollar as the starting point.  , Japan ‘s , spending power has now considerably weakened as the currency hovers around 160 yen to a dollar.
The White Paper made an acknowledgement of the impact on procurement, saying:” Amid the current inflation and weak yen, we will make every effort to rationalize and improve efficiencies of procurement while examining costs, through measures like acquiring equipment through bulk purchases and long-term contracts.”
As it is,  , Dr Nagao , noted that , Japan ‘s , order of US-made Tomahawk missiles was reduced from 500 units, as initially reported, to 400 units.
The Defence Ministry , must also recover from scandals exposed in quick succession since June.
In one instance, it was discovered that dozens of MSDF divers had allegedly made fraudulent claims of 43 million yen in compensation for diving missions that were n’t actually carried out. Additionally, it was discovered that MSDF personnel had not paid for their meals in the base cafeterias.
In another scandal, the MSDF’s fictitious transactions with submarine contractor , Kawasaki Heavy Industries , have come under the radar, with the profits going into a slush fund that was allegedly used to wine and dine MSDF officers.
Finally, according to reports, breaches were reported to have occurred on board more than 10 military vessels as officers permitted unvetted personnel to access state secrets, despite the absence of any leaks of information.
Commenting on what might have led to the scandals,  , Sasakawa Peace Foundation , senior fellow Ippeita Nishida said:” One may argue that there are so many guidelines and administrative procedures that SDF officers must follow. But with fewer staff, that led to the mishandling of classified information.
And submariners, who perform one of the most challenging jobs, may not receive enough public recognition or financial rewards as a result of the funding scandal.
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