“People's trust in the Self-Defense Forces is important” Former Chief of Staff Kono receives the Order of the Sacred Treasure - Autumn decoration

"The Self-Defense Forces must realize that public trust is important." Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Katsutoshi Kono (71), who was selected for the Order of the Sacred Treasure, emphasized the following as he looked back on his 42 years as a Self-Defense Force officer. As the security environment surrounding Japan becomes increasingly severe, he called for strengthening the role of the Self-Defense Forces and revising Article 9 of the Constitution.

The Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun was conferred in autumn by Toyota Chairman and others, former Chief of Staff Kono, and actor Matsuzaka from Asahi Elementary School.

He was born in Hokkaido, where his father, a former Navy veteran, was posted in 1954, the year the Self-Defense Forces were established. After graduating from the National Defense Academy in 1977, he joined the Maritime Self-Defense Force. After serving as Commander of the Self-Defense Fleet and Chief of the Maritime Staff, he was appointed as the fifth Chief of the Joint Staff in 2014. He gained the deep trust of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and played a central role in the administration's security policy. His retirement age was extended an unprecedented three times, and he served as Joint Chief of Staff for four and a half years, the longest period in history, until his retirement in 2019.

The Gulf War of 1990 was cited as a major turning point for the Self-Defense Forces. Japan was criticized by the international community for making no human contributions, such as dispatching the Self-Defense Forces, although it contributed a huge amount of funds. In 1991, after the end of the war, a minesweeper was dispatched to the Persian Gulf. This was an opportunity for the Self-Defense Forces to ramp up their overseas activities.

"The Self-Defense Forces have changed from an immobile Self-Defense Force to a mobile Self-Defense Force. As they have completed their missions step by step, the public's trust has increased." Mr. Kono said:

During his tenure as Joint Chief of Staff, the issue he dealt with with the greatest sense of tension was the North Korea issue. North Korea has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles and progressed in its nuclear and missile development. Currently, Japan is deepening military ties with Russia, which continues to invade Ukraine.

Kono regrets that, ``The United States' attention shifted to other regions (outside East Asia) and left North Korea alone, giving it time.The military pressure between Japan and the United States should have been effective, and if they had taken one or two more steps, things might have turned out differently.''

The nature of the Japan-US alliance remains a major issue. He pointed out that the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is an asymmetrical relationship in which the United States is obligated to defend Japan, while Japan provides bases for the U.S. military, and that it is ``unprecedented anywhere in the world.'' He explained that Japan is becoming increasingly important to the United States as China's military threat increases. ``Maybe if we move forward with a form of mutual defense to some extent, it will turn into a more reliable alliance,'' he said.

The issue of the Self-Defense Forces and Article 9 of the Constitution cannot be avoided. Kono emphasized, ``The Self-Defense Forces are the organization that is most burdened with the contradictions of the postwar regime.'' He argued that Article 9, Paragraph 2, which stipulates the non-retention of military forces, needs to be reviewed.