Special Defense Inspection: MSDF Personnel’s Wrongdoing a Betrayal of the People

Editorial

15:19 JST, July 31, 2025

The collusive relationship between the Maritime Self-Defense Force and major defense industry companies is too much to tolerate. If the corrupt practices are not stopped, trust in the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces as a whole will be shaken.

The ministry has compiled a final report on the special defense inspection regarding the issue of Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine crew members receiving various items from employees of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. This issue came to light last year following a tax inspection of Kawasaki by the Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau.

According to the final report, the transfer of items had been a customary occurrence since about 40 years ago. When submarines entered Kawasaki’s Kobe Shipyard for inspections, crew members would hand over a list of requested items to the Kawasaki side.

Based on this list, Kawasaki procured not only official items necessary for operations by crew members, such as tools and cables, but also personal items, such as game consoles and watches.

Some crew members repeatedly requested personal items, with one individual receiving items with a value totaling ¥500,000, according to the report. Such behavior cannot escape criticism for mixing public and private life.

The final report also revealed that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Japan Marine United Corp., as well as Kawasaki, provided tools and other items that were essential but were not included in the budget when inspecting submarines.

It is regrettable that an organization responsible for national defense is being given indispensable equipment for its operations by private companies. The ministry should set aside a sufficient budget for the items necessary to carry out its operations.

In the interim report released at the end of last year, it was found that Kawasaki had repeatedly made up fictitious transactions with subcontractors to raise the funds for supplying items to MSDF personnel.

The final report also revealed that the MSDF had resorted to improper approaches, such as inflating budget requests, to raise the funds to secure items.

A uniformed MSDF officer, who served as a supervisor overseeing inspections and repairs at the Kobe Shipyard, had created false documents to alter construction details, including calling for unnecessary repairs, and submitted them to the ministry, after which funds were allocated for that purpose.

The MSDF did not actually make Kawasaki carry out operations for the padded portion of the budget, and instead had Kawasaki purchase items for the supervisor and crew members with the surplus funds. This illicit handling of public funds is unacceptable.

This scandal, which was caused by the MSDF itself at a time when it is suffering from a shortage of personnel, will likely damage its image and hinder its efforts to recruit new personnel.

The ministry punished Adm. Akira Saito, MSDF chief of staff, with a pay cut for violating his supervisory duties, with 92 individuals involved in submarine repairs receiving admonitions or other punishments. In cases of severe misconduct, criminal liability should also be pursued.

To address the lax discipline, it may be necessary to investigate the entire SDF for any other inappropriate relationships with the defense industry.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 31, 2025)