Policy Recommendation on Enhancing the Foundation for Human Resource Base of Defense Capabilities

Retired MOD Tetsuro KUROE, born in Yamagata Prefecture, graduated from University of Tokyo (B.A. in Law) in 1981 and from Royal College of Defence Studies (UK) in 1998.
He joined Japan Defense Agency in 1981 and served as Deputy Director General of Bureau of Defense Policy, Director General of Bureau of Operational Policy, Director General of Ministry of Defense Minister's Secretariat and Director General of Bureau of Defense Policy. For 2 years since October 2015, he served as Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense.
After retiring from MOD, he served as Special Advisor to the National Security Secretariat from October 2017 to May 2020, and became a member of “Expert Panel on Comprehensive Consideration of Defense Capabilities as National Power” on September 2022, contributing to the revision of Japan’s three national security documents.
He has been serving as an advisor at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd since January 2018.

Apr 1981 Joined Japan Defense Agency
Jul 1999 Director, Operations Division, Bureau of Operations
May 2001 Cabinet Counselor, Cabinet Affairs Office
Aug 2004 Cabinet Counselor under the Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary for National Security and Crisis Management
Aug 2006 Director, Administrative Coordination Division, Ministry of Defense
Sep 2007 Defense Councilor
Aug 2009 Deputy Director General, Bureau of Defense Policy
Sep 2012 Director General, Bureau of Operational Policy
Jul 2013 Director General, Minister’s Secretariat
Jul 2014 Director General, Bureau of Defense Policy
Oct 2015 Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense
Jul 2017 Retired MOD
Oct 2017 Special Advisor to the National Security Secretariat (Retired May 2020)
Jan 2018 Present Position
Sep 2022 Member of “Expert Panel on Comprehensive Consideration of Defense Capabilities as National Power”
Feb 2023 Member of "Expert Panel on Reinforcing the Human Resource Base of the MOD/SDF"

Retired General Yamazaki Koji graduated from the National Defense Academy in 1983 and the National Defense Uni-versity in the United States with a master's degree in national security strategy in 2006.

He served in various frontline command positions in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), including Northern Army Commanding General, 9th Division Commander, 4th Engineer Group Commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff (Operation) of the Western Army Headquarters. Within the Ministry of Defense, he held roles such as Chief of Staff of the Ground Staff Office (GSO), Director-General of the Personnel Department, and Director of the Logistics Planning Divi-sion at GSO. He assumed the position of Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff in 2019, the highest position in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, overseeing domestic and international operations and advising the Defense Minister from a military perspective. He contributed to the formulation of three security-related documents, including the National Security Strategy, which was released at the end of 2022.

He is also a recipient of the highest decoration awarded by the governments of the United States, France, and Australia to military personnel of other countries. He retired from the Japan Self-Defense Forces in 2023 with the rank of JGSDF General.

Retired General Yamazaki has been serving as an advisor to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd., an advisor to the Ministry of Defense, Senior Fellow of Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Chairman of the Japan Mine Action Service.

Retired Admiral Murakawa, born in, Kanagawa Prefecture, graduated from the National Defense Academy in 1981. And his professional education includes courses in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Staff College, Joint Staff College and in the National Institute for Defense Studies.

He retired from JMSDF in 2019. During his last assignment in service as Chief of Staff, Maritime Self-Defense Force, he assisted in revising the National Defense Program Guidelines and the Medium Term Defense Program in 2018.

After graduating from the National Defense Academy, he proceeded to Maritime Officer Candidate School, commis-sioning in 1982. After serving onboard JS Teruzuki and JS Katori as junior officer, he was designated as supply and ac-counting officer. Being assigned to various billets relating to administration, personnel and finance, he gained extensive experience and knowledge about logistics.

Prior to his assignment as Chief of Staff in 2016, Admiral Murakawa served as Director General of Personnel and Edu-cation Department in Maritime Staff Office, Commander of Maritime Materiel Command and Vice Chief of Staff in Maritime Staff Office.

Retired Admiral Murakawa has been serving as a consultant to the president, NTT DATA Corporation since 2019.

Lieutenant General Tadashi Miyagawa (Retired Dec. 2017) was Director General of Defense Intelligence Headquarters (DIH), Ministry of Defense, JAPAN. He was responsible for providing Defense Minister and Joint Chief of Staff matter of military intelligence and international situation. He had also briefed military situation to Prime Minister and the others.
He was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1959 and joined the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) in 1982. His career has been primarily in fighter pilot of F-15J and commanding leadership position.

EXPERIENCE & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
September 2022 – Present ：Professor, NIHON University, College of Risk Management
Classes on Strategy, GEOINT, Terrorism, etc.
July 2018 – March 2022 ：Director, Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (CSICE)
Providing satellite imagery from Japan's intelligence-gathering satellites to the government and related organizations.
August 2014 – December 2017 ：Director General of Defense Intelligence Headquarters (DIH)
In addition to collecting and analyzing SIGINT, IMINT, GEOINT and OSINT, and providing it to relevant organizations, it also analyzes trends related to Japan's secu-rity, such as international and military situations.
August 2013 – July 2014 ：Commander, Western Air Defense Force
Air defense missions in the western region of Japan
January 2012 – July 2013 ：Director, Personnel and Education Dept., Air Staff Office (ASO)
June 1999 – June 2002 ：Air Attaché, Embassy of Japan, USA

EDUCATION
National Institute for Defense Studies (1998), General Course
USAF University (1992), Air Command and Staff College course
NIHON University (1982), Bachelor of Laws

Retired Vice Admiral SHIBATA Hiroshi, born in Fukuoka Prefecture, graduated from Ehime University in 1988 and The National Defense University with a master's degree in Science and Engineering in 1995.

He served in Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), including Director of Weapons Department of Maritime Material Command, and Director General of Personnel and Education Department, Director General of Logistics Department, Director of Ships and Weapons Division of Maritime Staff Office (MSO).

Within the Ministry of Defense, he held roles such as Director General of the Naval Systems, and Director of the Ships Design and Planning Division at The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). He contributed to the de-velopment of the latest maritime defense equipment and the design of the latest naval vessels.

He retired from Japan Self-Defense Forces in August 2022 with the rank of JMSDF Vice Admiral.

Born on April 26, 1970 in Tokyo. Graduated from Nihon University College of Art with a degree in Broadcasting,　
After working as a TV program anchor, production staff, and radio news desk, She now writes mainly on defense and security issues, including the Self-Defense Forces and the domestic defense industry.
She completed a special course at the National Institute for Defense Studies in 2013. She served as a member of the Ministry of Defense's “Study Group on Defense Production and Technology Infrastructure,” the Cabinet Office's “Study Group on Multi-purpose Vessels for Disaster Management,” and the Ministry of Defense's “Round-table Conference on Defense Issues.
She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Security Studies. Visiting Researcher, National Institute for Basic National Security Studies. Councilor, Defense Improvement and Infrastructure Association.

Author of “Miracle Ship Soya,” “Opening the Sea: The Unknown Minesweeping Unit,” “The Defense Industry No One Knows.” “The Self-Defense Forces and the Defense Industry” (Namiki Shobo), “Endless Love Letters: Grandparents Tell Their 'Other War Experience” (PHP Research Institute), ‘Thank God Japan has Self-Defense Forces - The Great East Japan Earthquake of the Self-Defense Forces’ (Sankei Shimbun Publications),‘JSDF Economics’ (East Press).　The Spirit of the Self-Defense Forces” (PHP Kenkyujo), “Japan's Defense Industry in Crisis” (Sankei NF Bunko), etc.

In addition to this, participated in the production of radio documentaries. In 2008, "My Dream," a Nippon Broadcasting System (AM radio) news special that he scripted and composed, won the Grand Prix at the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan (NAB) Awards and the Grand Prize at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival in the radio documentary category.

Yasuhiro Kawakami is a security expert specializing in military strategy, operational mobility, tactics, national defense studies, and Japanese security policy.

He graduated from the National Defense Academy of Japan in 1988, and the High Level Mine Warfare School and the Naval War College. Additionally, he received a Master’s Degree of Arts (Social Management Science) at the Open University of Japan in 2021. After qualifying as a surface warfare officer, he carried out duties on JS Shimayuki (DD133), as navigation officer on JS Asagiri (DD151), and as damage control officer on JS Sawagiri (DD157), all in Sasebo. Over the course of five overseas deployments, he commanded the minesweeper ship JS Hikoshima (MSC 669), Minesweeper Division 46 (MSCx3), and Minesweeper Division 51 (MSOx3), and also commanded the Deploy Task Force as chief-of-staff for Commander, Mine Warfare and Amphibious Warfare Force. He completed five tours in the Maritime Staff Office, Chief of Training Section, where he was responsible for defense planning, public affairs, personnel planning, manager of honors and discipline, and commanded the Mine Warfare Service Center (CMWSC). He assumed the post of chairman and professor of the Department of National Defense Studies at the National Defense Academy of Japan in September 2018, and retired from the JMSDF in December 2020 (Rear Admiral JMSDF (Ret.)).

He assumed the position of Senior Research Fellow in the SPF in October 2021.

Atsushi Sunami is President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He is also Adjunct Professor and Special Advisor to the President at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), and Guest Professor at the Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation at Waseda University.

In the Cabinet Office, he serves as a member of the Economic Security Legislation Council, the Basic Policy Group under the Committee on National Space Policy, and chairs the Okinawa Development Council. He also serves as Chairman of the Committee for Examination and Evaluation of the Subsidy for Research and Study Projects on Di-plomacy and Security in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He earned his BSFS from Georgetown University and MIA and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.