[War] Japan: "Your JSDF"

[Ian Martell]

"Your JSDF"
Defense Minister Taro Inukai
Japan
July 8th 2014
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Most of the Diet and Cabinet was out of the city for the summer break, even 
the workaholic that was Prime Minister Shunichi Sato had finally gone home 
to Niko for a week. Though with the number of times he called, it was really 
like he had never left. For Taro Inukai, Japan's Minister of Defence, there 
was too much work to be done for him to go back his District and his home 
just outside of the city of Kochi on the island of Shikoku, after all there 
was a war on. Though more than that, there was political campaign to run, 
which was, in essence the abolition of Article 9 of the Japanese 
constitution. A ridiculous article, he hade hated since the very first day 
he put on a uniform at the Defence Forces Academy when he was eighteen years 
old. To his mind it was an insult to everyone who served in Japan's defence 
and to those who had given their lives to the same goal in previous 
generations and he was determined to see it end before the year was out.

Which was why he was meeting with his staff today, they were laying out the 
first stages of the plan to win over Japan's population to the idea that 
having an army you called an army meant Japan would revert to militarism and 
mad campaigns of conquest.

"Alright, so what is the plan?" he asked as he sat back behind his desk and 
looked out over his staff.

His chief assistant, Tamiko Haruna, stood up. "The first step, is that we 
are putting an end to the regulation that JSDF personnel are forbidden to 
wear their uniform while off-duty and off-base, and replacing it with one 
that encourages the wearing of the Defence Forces uniform at those times," 
she read from her notes. "This is due to our Public Affairs office's study 
that says that 90% of Japanese citizens say they have never met anyone from 
the JSDF."

Inukai nodded. "Yes, yes, I've read it," he said forestalling her before she 
really got going. "Carry on."

"Yes sir, sorry, about that," she smiled a little shyly, and flipped the 
pages of her note book. "As part of the same public outreach plan we are 
hosting several events on our bases which will familiarize the community 
around the base to the base's purpose and the personnel who work there, as 
well it will be a chance for the JSDF to show off its technology especially 
the unmanned vehicles we are currently deploying. This relates to our 
campaign to continue the perception that the JSDF is a safe profession for 
young Japanese men and women to enter into. As we all know, the JSDF is 
often the first choice for students who cannot afford college due to the 
fact we provide education benefits, and it is considered safer than the 
police or fire departments, we expect that if Article 9 is removed, that 
this will no longer be the case, so we are working with the Public Affairs 
department to highlight how Japan's technology industries are working to 
safe guard our troops."

She turned to Juji Watanbe, the head of Public Affairs to continue as she 
sat down.

"Yes, well as you know, our UAV and remote infantry units, are ready for 
deployment, we are going to be beginning an advertising campaign to 
highlight these aspects of the Defense forces to be running over the summer 
and into fall, as well as promoting the role of Japanese industry in 
providing this technology for the troops. It is all part of our message plan 
titled "Your Defense Force", with the aim of showing the public the 
connections between Japan and her defense forces."

"And ensuring the Japanese people it is still a safe occupation." Haruna 
chimed in.

"Yes, of course, safe, strong, and good, Your Japanese Defense Forces."

Inukai nodded neutrally. The whole thing seemed a little wimpy to him, but 
then he was hardly the specialist in these matters. "Okay, what else?"

Haruna took up the conversation. "We have also given authorization to the 
major newspapers and television networks to attach reporters to our mission 
in Georgia, to highlight our efforts there."

"I assume we're keeping them away from the combat?" he asked.

"Of course, they are strictly being tasked the rice and teddy bears side of 
the mission," she replied.

Inukai nodded, he like the rest of the Cabinet knew there would be a major 
backlash from the pacifist side of the country with the news of a casualty 
on the Caspian Sword mission, so he was glad to know the actual event wasn't 
likely to happen live at eleven on NHK.

"Beyond that, right now we are letting the Summer of the Family take center 
stage, and after September, when the Diet is in session we will begin the 
serious campaigning for change to the constitution."

And with that the meeting continued.

Actions:

1>	Begin promoting the JSDF to the Japanese people.
2>	All personnel are no longer forbidden to wear their uniforms off base, 
and are now encouraged to do so. However it should be noted that disorderly 
conduct while in uniform will not be tolerated.
3>	The Ministry of Defense will begin to promote the safe side of the JSDF 
and the role of Japanese industry though an ad campaign.
4>	Additional ads will be run in order to promote to the people of Japan a 
sense of ownership of the JSDF. "Your JSDF" As well as opening up bases for 
air shows etc, to give the Japanese people a better picture of who the JSDF 
are and what they do.
5>	Reporters will be attached to the safe side of the Japanese deployment to 
Georgia. Lots of shots of Japanese soldiers doing peacekeeping, interacting 
with the locals etc.