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The Ranks and insignia of the Japan Self-Defense Forces are the military insignia used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

History

Following the end of World War II in Asia, after the surrender of Japan, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were dissolved by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in 1945, during the Allied occupation that lasted until 1952. The 1947 constitution stipulated that armed forces with war potential will not be maintained.

The symbols below represent the ranks of the Japan Self-Defence Forces: the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force, the Japan Air Self-Defence Force, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, which replaced the imperial military in 1954.

The 1871–1945 Japanese military and naval ranks were phased out after World War II. The Self-Defence Force breaks away from the Sino-centric tradition of non-branch-specified ranks; each JSDF rank with respect to each service carries a distinct Japanese title, although equivalent titles in different branches are still similar, differing only in the use of the morphemes riku (ground) for the army ranks, kai (maritime) for the naval ranks, and kū (air) for the aviation ranks.^[1]

The pentagramic stars on the insignia represent cherry blossoms. Because Japanese soldiers take an oath to die to protect the lives and wealth of Japanese citizens, they have been compared to delicate cherry blossoms that break easily.

Ground Self-Defense Force

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General officers			Field officers			Junior officers
Rank	幕僚長たる陸将 Bakuryōchō-taru-rikushō	陸将 Rikushō	陸将補 Rikushō-ho	1等陸佐 Ittō rikusa	2等陸佐 Nitō rikusa	3等陸佐 Santō rikusa	1等陸尉 Ittō rikui	2等陸尉 Nitō rikui	3等陸尉 Santō rikui	准陸尉 Jun rikui
Insignia Type A^[2]
Insignia Type B
Insignia Miniature Type
U.S. equivalent^[3]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Warrant officer

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	NCO's				Enlisted
Rank	陸曹長 Rikusōchō	1等陸曹 Ittō rikusō	2等陸曹 Nitō rikusō	3等陸曹 Santō rikusō	陸士長 Rikushichō	1等陸士 Ittō rikushi	2等陸士 Nitō rikushi	自衛官候補生 Jieikan kōhosei
Insignia Type A^[2]
Insignia Type B
Insignia Miniature Type								No insignia
U.S. equivalent^[3]	First sergeant	Sergeant first class	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Private first class	Private	Recruit

Maritime Self-Defense Force

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	Flag officers			Senior officers			Junior officers
Rank	幕僚長たる海将 Bakuryōchō-taru-kaishō	海将 Kaishō	海将補 Kaishō-ho	1等海佐 Ittō kaisa	2等海佐 Nitō kaisa	3等海佐 Santō kaisa	1等海尉 Ittō kaii	2等海尉 Nitō kaii	3等海尉 Santō kaii	准海尉 Jun kaii
Insignia Type A^[2]^[4]
Insignia Type B
Insignia Type C^[2]^[4]
Insignia Miniature Type
U.S. equivalent^[3]	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant	Lieutenant (junior grade)	Ensign	Warrant officer

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	NCO's				Enlisted
Rank	海曹長 Kaisōchō	1等海曹 Ittō kaisō	2等海曹 Nitō kaisō	3等海曹 Santō kaisō	海士長 Kaishichō	1等海士 Ittō kaishi	2等海士 Nitō kaishi	自衛官候補生 Jieikan kōhosei
Insignia Type A^[2]
Insignia Type B
Insignia Type C								No insignia
Insignia Miniature Type								No insignia
U.S. equivalent^[3]	Senior chief petty officer	Chief petty officer	Petty officer first class	Petty officer second class	Petty officer third class	Seaman	Seaman apprentice	Seaman recruit

Air Self-Defense Force

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	Flag officers			Senior officers			Junior officers
Rank	幕僚長たる空将 Bakuryōchō-taru-kūshō	空将 Kūshō	空将補 Kūshō-ho	1等空佐 Ittō kūsa	2等空佐 Nitō kūsa	3等空佐 Santō kūsa	1等空尉 Ittō kūi	2等空尉 Nitō kūi	3等空尉 Santō kūi	准空尉 Jun kūi
Insignia Type A^[2]^[5]
Insignia Type B
Insignia Miniature Type
U.S. equivalent^[3]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Warrant officer

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	NCO's				Enlisted
Rank	空曹長 Kūsōchō	1等空曹 Ittō kūsō	2等空曹 Nitō kūsō	3等空曹 Santō kūsō	空士長 Kūshichō	1等空士 Ittō kūshi	2等空士 Nitō kūshi	自衛官候補生 Jieikan kōhosei
Insignia Type A^[2]^[5]
Insignia Type B
Insignia Miniature Type								No insignia
U.S. equivalent^[3]	Senior master sergeant	Master sergeant	Technical sergeant	Staff sergeant	Senior Airman	Airman first class	Airman	Recruit

Timeline

Commissioned officer ranks

Rank group	General / Flag Officers				Field Officers			Junior Officers
National Police Reserve 1950–1952
National Police Reserve 1950–1952		総隊総監たる警察監^[6] Sōtisōkan-taru-keisatsukan	警察監^[6] Keisatsukan	警察監補^[6] Keisatsukan-ho	1等警察正 Ittō-keisatsusei	2等警察正 Nitō-keisatsusei	警察士長 Keisatsusi-chō	1等警察士 Ittō-keisatushi	2等警察士 Nitō-keisatsusi
National Safety Force 1952–1954		第一幕僚長たる保安監^[6] Dai'ichibakuryōchō-taru-hoankan	保安監^[6] Hoankan	保安監補 Hoankan-ho^[6]	1等保安正 Ittō-hoansei	2等保安正 Nitō-hansei	3等保安正 Santō-hoansei	1等保安士 ittō-hoanshi	2等保安士 Nitō-hoanshi	3等保安士 Santō-hoanshi
Coastal Safety Force 1952		海上警備監^[7] kaijō-keibikan		海上警備監補^[7] Kaijō-keibikan-ho	1等海上警備正 Itto-kaijō-keibisei	2等海上警備正 Nitō-kaijō-keibisei	3等海上警備正 Santō-kaijō-keibisei	1等海上警備士 Itto-kaijō-keibishi	2等海上警備士 Nitō-kaijō-keibishi	3等海上警備士 Santō-kaijō-keibishi
Safety Security Force 1952–1954		第二幕僚長たる警備監^[7] Dainibakuryōchō-taru-keibikan	警備監^[7]^[8] Keibikan	警備監補^[7] Keibikan-ho	1等警備正 Ittō-keibisei	2等警備正 Nitō-keibisei	3等警備正 Santō-keibisei	1等警備士 Ittō-keibishi	2等警備士 Nitō-keibishi	3等警備士 Santō-keibishi
Self-Defense Forces 1954–1962
Self-Defense Forces 1954–1962		将 Shō		将補 Shō-ho	1佐 Issa	2佐 Nisa	3佐 Sansa	1尉 Ichi'i	2尉 Ni'i	3尉 San'i
1962–1970	幕僚長たる将 Bakuryōchō-taru-shō
1970–current	幕僚長たる将 Bakuryōchō-taru-shō										准尉 Jun'i
U.S. equivalent^[3]	GEN ADM Gen.	LTG VADM Lt.Gen.	MG RADM Maj.Gen.	BG RDML Brig.Gen.	COL CAPT Col.	LTC CDR Lt.Col.	MAJ LCDR Maj.	CPT LT Capt.	1LT LTJG 1st LT.	2LT ENS 2nd LT.	WO WO WO

Other ranks

Rank group	NCO's				Enlisted
National Police Reserve 1950–1952		1等警察士補 Ittō-keisatsushi-ho	2等警察士補 Nitō-keisatsushi-ho	3等警察士補 Santō-keisatsushi-ho	警査長 Keisa-chō	1等警査 Ittō-keisa	2等警査 Nitō-keisa
National Safety Force 1952–1954		1等保安士補 Ittō-hoanshi-ho	2等保安士補 Nitō-hoanshi-ho	3等保安士補 Santō-hoanshi-ho	保査長 Hosa-chō	1等保査 Ittō-hosa	2等保査 Nitō-hosa
Coastal Safety Force 1952		1等海上警備士補 Ittō-kaijōkeibishi-ho	2等海上警備士補 Nitō-kaijōkeibishi-ho	3等海上警備士補 Santō-kaijōkeibishi-ho	海上警備員長 Kaijōkeibi'in-chō	1等海上警備員 Ittō-kaijōkeibi'in	2等海上警備員 Nitō-kaijōkeibi'in	3等海上警備員 Santō-kaijōkeibi'in
Safety Security Force 1952–1954		1等警備士補 Ittō-keibishi-ho	2等警備士補 Nitō-keibishi-ho	3等警備士補 Santō-keibishi-ho	警査長 Keisa-chō	1等警査 Ittō-keisa	2等警査 Nitō-keisa	3等警査 Santō-keisa
Self-Defense Forces 1954–1980		1曹 Issō	2曹 Nisō	3曹 Sansō	士長 Shichō	1士 Isshi	2士 Nishi	3士 Sanshi
1980–2010	曹長 Sōchō							3士 Sanshi
2010–current	曹長 Sōchō							自衛官候補生 Jieikan-kōhosei
U.S. equivalent^[3]	1SG SCPO SMSgt	SFC CPO MSgt	SSG PO1 TSgt	SGT PO2 SSgt	CPL PO3 SrA	PFC SN A1C	PV2 SA Amn	PV1 SR AB

References

^ "自衛隊の階級" [Ranks of the JSDF]. 平成16年版防衛白書 [Defense of Japan 2004] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japanese Defense Agency. 2004. p. 266. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "自衛官の階級" [Self-Defense Forces rank]. mod.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 December 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Dolan, Roland E. (1992). "National Security". In Dolan, Roland E.; Worden, Robert L. (eds.). Japan: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 448-449. LCCN 91029874. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b "階級章" [Rank chapter]. mod.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Rank of Insignias" (PDF). yokota.af.mil. Yokota Air Base. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f At that time, they corresponded to three-star rank, two-star rank and one-star rank respectively. パンツァー 1998年4月号 125頁。アルゴノート社。(PANZER April 1998 issu page.125 Argonaut.Inc.)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e 世界の艦船増刊第59集海上自衛隊の50年 22頁。海人社 (SHIPS OF THE WORLD　a collection of 59th edition "50 years of the Maritime Self-Defense Force" page.22 Kaijinsha.)
^ Keibikan's cuff insignia used a gold stripe of 2-inchi, 1/4-inchi and 1/2-inchi array. ref name="rank insignia 2" relevant.