Local media reported that the Japanese government is preparing a bill to revise the Self-Defense Forces Act to change Self-Defense Forces officers' ranks to military-style titles.
On the 25th, the Yomiuri Shimbun, citing Japanese government officials, reported that the Japanese government plans to submit to the Diet within the year a bill to revise the Self-Defense Forces Act, centered on changing the titles of Self-Defense Forces officers' ranks.
Currently, Self-Defense Forces ranks are divided into 16 levels, from the highest among generals, "jang" (將), to the lowest among enlisted soldiers, "2-sa" (2士), and the titles to be changed apply to officers at company grade and above, excluding "warrant officer."
Specifically, the title of chief of staff, a four-star general who commands the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces respectively, will be changed to "general," and other flag officers will be changed to "lieutenant general."
Also, "1-so," equivalent to colonel, will be changed to "daeso," while "2-so" and "3-so," equivalent to lieutenant colonel and major, will be changed to "jungso" and "so-so," and "1-wi," equivalent to captain, will be changed to captain. The titles for "jo" (曹), which correspond to noncommissioned officers below company grade, and the "sa" ranks for enlisted soldiers will not be changed.
Initially, there was a proposal to change "2-jo" to sergeant and "2-sa" to private. However, the Yomiuri Shimbun said it reflected the views of active-duty Self-Defense Forces personnel that this could spread the negative image of the former Imperial Japanese Army.
This is the first change to Self-Defense Forces rank titles since its establishment in 1954. The Japanese government cited the need for international standardization as the reason for changing the titles of Self-Defense Forces officers. The Self-Defense Forces have continued to use rank titles different from other countries on the grounds that they are not a military, but there has been a view that they should be changed in a way similar to the military for international standardization. There has also been criticism that for ranks expressed with numbers such as 1-so and 2-so, it is difficult to tell which is higher.
In response, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the coalition partner Japan Innovation Party said in an agreement drawn up when they formed a coalition government last year that they would "implement international standardization within fiscal 2026" for Self-Defense Forces ranks.
However, some are expected to argue that with this move, the Self-Defense Forces, a de facto military, are seeking to adopt even the name of a military and gain recognition as a formal military. There is also a view that if the Self-Defense Forces start with names, gain recognition as a formal military, and then proceed step by step to amend the Constitution to specify the Self-Defense Forces as a military, Japan will lay the groundwork to move toward a "war-capable state" for the first time in more than 80 years since the end of the war.
The Liberal Democratic Party has argued that the de facto military Self-Defense Forces should be specified in the Constitution, while the Japan Innovation Party goes further, saying that specifying the right of self-defense and the national defense forces is necessary.