Japan has established a new Joint Operations Command to enhance the integration and coordination of its Self-Defense Forces (SDF). The government has named Lieutenant General Yoshihide Yoshida as its first commander.
Key Details:
- Purpose: The new command will streamline joint operations between the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, improving response times in emergencies, including regional contingencies.
- Leadership: Lt. Gen. Yoshida, previously the chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Central Readiness Force, brings extensive experience in military operations and coordination.
- Location: The headquarters will be based at Japan’s Defense Ministry in Tokyo, with plans to become fully operational by 2025.
Strategic Significance:
This move aligns with Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities amid rising regional security challenges, including tensions with China and North Korea. The command will also facilitate closer cooperation with the U.S. military under the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Japan’s first joint operations commander has the authority to unify the three branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) from peacetime to emergency.
Lt. Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo, vice chief of staff at the JSDF Joint Staff, was appointed to lead the Japan Joint Operations Command (JJOC), which launched in late March 2025 at the Defense Ministry’s headquarters in Tokyo with about 240 personnel.
The appointment came after the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program, both approved by Japan’s National Security Council and Cabinet in December 2022, called for reinforcing the effectiveness of the joint operational posture of the JSDF’s air, ground and maritime services.
“A Permanent Joint Headquarters will be established in order to build a system capable of seamlessly conducting cross-domain operations at all stages from peacetime to contingency, with the aim of strengthening the effectiveness of joint operations among each SDF service,” the Defense Buildup Program stated, noting the “rapidly increasing severity of the security environment surrounding Japan.”
Nagumo graduated from the National Defense Academy and joined the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) in 1989. His prior roles include director general of the Defense Planning and Policy Department at the JASDF’s Air Staff Office, and commander of the Western Air Defense Force.
He has served as vice chief of staff since March 2023, a role that includes delivering reports directly to the nation’s prime minister.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Vice Adm. Tateki Tawara was named JJOC deputy commander, a spokesperson said.
