Japan’s Self-Defense Forces Joint Operations Command Established; Aims to Boost Response to Disasters, Contingencies

By Hiroshi Mizota / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:07 JST, March 24, 2025

The Defense Ministry on Monday established Japan Self-Defense Forces Joint Operations Command (JJOC). It will operate as a permanent joint headquarters to facilitate the centralized command of each SDF service — Ground, Maritime and Air — during peacetime as well as in times of emergency.

The aim is to enhance the defense forces’ ability to simultaneously respond to contingencies and large-scale disasters. A system has been established in which all units, including those in the space and cyber domains, will always be operated under a single command center to enhance deterrence.

This is the first major reorganization involving the operation of the entire SDF since the establishment of the Joint Staff Office in 2006.

The first commander of the JJOC is Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo.

The new headquarters, with a staff of about 240, is located at the Defense Ministry in Ichigaya, Tokyo. The personnel were secured by transferring members from the Joint Staff Office and other departments.

Reasons for change

The Defense Ministry is believed to have launched the Joint Operations Command due to concerns over situations where the country faces military provocation from neighbors while it is dealing with large-scale disasters. In order to enhance deterrence, it is important for SDF units to be effectively mobilized under the JJOC and strengthen cooperation with the U.S. military.

The chief of staff of the Joint Staff, the top uniformed officer of the SDF, had been coordinating SDF operations while advising the defense minister.

Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, the incumbent chief of staff, had also been receiving reports on the activities of joint task forces formed during emergencies, in addition to the operations of troops of the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense forces. This is because the chief of staff sometimes needs to seek a decision from the defense minister before giving instructions to his units.

The burden on the chief of staff has been even higher when multiple emergencies have occurred.

When the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck on New Year’s Day in 2024, the SDF formed a joint task force of 10,000 personnel the following day. A task force for defense against North Korean ballistic missiles and another for evacuating Japanese nationals amid the escalated situation in Gaza and other Middle East areas were already in operation at the time.

The SDF also had to respond to the activities of Chinese and Russian naval vessels and aircraft around Japan. Information on these situations were overwhelmingly reported to Yoshida.

In the early stages of the earthquake, however, it was difficult for Yoshida to receive such reports since he had to go to the Prime Minister’s Office and the defense minister’s office several times a day to provide updates. He was sometimes unable to return to his office for up to two hours at a time.

A Japan-U.S. joint drill was also held in February 2024, and Yoshida was hospitalized for about two weeks due to overwork that month.

“Multiple emergencies occurring at the same time has become the norm. [With the launch of the JJOC,] the chief of staff of the Joint Staff will be able to concentrate on his work assisting the minister,” a senior SDF official said.

The way civilian control is managed is expected to remain the same under the new apparatus. The commander of the JJOC will always consult with the chief of staff of the Joint Staff in important situations and seek the judgment of the defense minister.

The new organization will be responsible for operations involving the long-range missiles that have the capability to attack enemy missile bases and other targets. This is because integrated operations of the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense forces are essential for finding targets and guiding missiles.

The government hopes to strengthen its deterrent capability by possessing such counterattack capabilities.

China is said to have not ruled out the option of unifying Taiwan by force. “The new command was built partly in preparation for a Taiwan contingency,” a Japanese government official said.

The necessity of the new command began to be discussed after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake when 100,000 personnel from the SDF were mobilized. The Defense Ministry accelerated preparations to launch the new command last year after the revised Self-Defense Forces Law was enacted with the building of the new apparatus in mind.

As a result of cyberattacks, there is a possibility that a gray-zone situation, which is neither a peacetime nor a contingency, occurs. It is imperative to build a system to respond to such situations seamlessly.

The SDF is expected to enhance the new command’s operational capabilities through exercises and other means.