The Ranks and insignia of the Japan Self-Defense Forces are the military insignia used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
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.
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
| Rank group | General / Flag Officers | Field Officers | Junior Officers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese: [[National Police Reserve#Ranks|警察予備隊]] (National Police Reserve) Japanese: Keisatsu-yobitai | ||||||||||||
| < | --None--> | Japanese: 総隊総監たる警察監[6] Japanese: Sōtisōkan-taru-keisatsukan | Japanese: 警察監 Japanese: Keisatsukan | Japanese: 警察監補 Japanese: Keisatsukan-ho | Japanese: 1等警察正 Japanese: Ittō-keisatsusei | Japanese: 2等警察正 Japanese: Nitō-keisatsusei | Japanese: 警察士長 Japanese: Keisatsusi-chō | Japanese: 1等警察士 Japanese: Ittō-keisatushi | Japanese: 2等警察士 Japanese: Nitō-keisatsusi | < | --None--> | |
| Japanese: 保安隊 (National Safety Force) Japanese: Hoantai | Japanese: 第一幕僚長たる保安監 Japanese: Dai'ichibakuryōchō-taru-hoankan | Japanese: 保安監 Japanese: Hoankan | Japanese: 保安監補 Japanese: Hoankan-ho | Japanese: 1等保安正 Japanese: Ittō-hoansei | Japanese: 2等保安正 Japanese: Nitō-hansei | Japanese: 3等保安正 Japanese: Santō-hoansei | Japanese: 1等保安士 Japanese: ittō-hoanshi | Japanese: 2等保安士 Japanese: Nitō-hoanshi | Japanese: 3等保安士 Japanese: Santō-hoanshi | < | --None--> | |
| Japanese: [[Coastal Safety Force|海上警備隊]] (Coastal Safety Force) Japanese: Kaijō-keibitai | Japanese: 海上警備監 Japanese: kaijō-keibikan | Japanese: 海上警備監補 Japanese: Kaijō-keibikan-ho | Japanese: 1等海上警備正 Japanese: Itto-kaijō-keibisei | Japanese: 2等海上警備正 Japanese: Nitō-kaijō-keibisei | Japanese: 3等海上警備正 Japanese: Santō-kaijō-keibisei | Japanese: 1等海上警備士 Japanese: Itto-kaijō-keibishi | Japanese: 2等海上警備士 Japanese: Nitō-kaijō-keibishi | Japanese: 3等海上警備士 Japanese: Santō-kaijō-keibishi | ||||
| Japanese: [[Safety Security Force|警備隊]] (Safety Security Force) Japanese: Keibitai | Japanese: 第二幕僚長たる警備監[7] Japanese: Dainibakuryōchō-taru-keibikan | Japanese: 警備監[8] Japanese: Keibikan | Japanese: 警備監補 Japanese: Keibikan-ho | Japanese: 1等警備正 Japanese: Ittō-keibisei | Japanese: 2等警備正 Japanese: Nitō-keibisei | Japanese: 3等警備正 Japanese: Santō-keibisei | Japanese: 1等警備士 Japanese: Ittō-keibishi | Japanese: 2等警備士 Japanese: Nitō-keibishi | Japanese: 3等警備士 Japanese: Santō-keibishi | |||
| Japanese: 自衛隊 Japanese: Jieitai | ||||||||||||
| Japanese: 将 Japanese: Shō | Japanese: 将補 Japanese: Shō-ho | Japanese: 1佐 Japanese: Issa | Japanese: 2佐 Japanese: Nisa | Japanese: 3佐 Japanese: Sansa | Japanese: 1尉 Japanese: Ichi'i | Japanese: 2尉 Japanese: Ni'i | Japanese: 3尉 Japanese: San'i | |||||
| Japanese: 幕僚長たる将 Japanese: Bakuryōchō-taru-shō | ||||||||||||
| Japanese: 准尉 Japanese: Jun'i | ||||||||||||
| U.S. equivalent | 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 | |
| Rank group | NCO's | Enlisted | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese: [[National Police Reserve#Ranks|警察予備隊]] (National Police Reserve) Japanese: Keisatsu-yobitai | < | --None--> | Japanese: 1等警察士補 Japanese: Ittō-keisatsushi-ho | Japanese: 2等警察士補 Japanese: Nitō-keisatsushi-ho | Japanese: 3等警察士補 Japanese: Santō-keisatsushi-ho | Japanese: 警査長 Japanese: Keisa-chō | Japanese: 1等警査 Japanese: Ittō-keisa | Japanese: 2等警査 Japanese: Nitō-keisa | < | --None--> |
| Japanese: 保安隊 (National Safety Force) Japanese: Hoantai | Japanese: 1等保安士補 Japanese: Ittō-hoanshi-ho | Japanese: 2等保安士補 Japanese: Nitō-hoanshi-ho | Japanese: 3等保安士補 Japanese: Santō-hoanshi-ho | Japanese: 保査長 Japanese: Hosa-chō | Japanese: 1等保査 Japanese: Ittō-hosa | Japanese: 2等保査 Japanese: Nitō-hosa | ||||
| Japanese: [[Coastal Safety Force|海上警備隊]] (Coastal Safety Force) Japanese: Kaijō-keibitai | Japanese: 1等海上警備士補 Japanese: Ittō-kaijōkeibishi-ho | Japanese: 2等海上警備士補 Japanese: Nitō-kaijōkeibishi-ho | Japanese: 3等海上警備士補 Japanese: Santō-kaijōkeibishi-ho | Japanese: 海上警備員長 Japanese: Kaijōkeibi'in-chō | Japanese: 1等海上警備員 Japanese: Ittō-kaijōkeibi'in | Japanese: 2等海上警備員 Japanese: Nitō-kaijōkeibi'in | Japanese: 3等海上警備員 Japanese: Santō-kaijōkeibi'in | |||
| Japanese: [[Safety Security Force|警備隊]] (Safety security Force) Japanese: Keibitai | Japanese: 1等警備士補 Japanese: Ittō-keibishi-ho | Japanese: 2等警備士補 Japanese: Nitō-keibishi-ho | Japanese: 3等警備士補 Japanese: Santō-keibishi-ho | Japanese: 警査長 Japanese: Keisa-chō | Japanese: 1等警査 Japanese: Ittō-keisa | Japanese: 2等警査 Japanese: Nitō-keisa | Japanese: 3等警査 Japanese: Santō-keisa | |||
| Japanese: 自衛隊 Japanese: Jieitai | Japanese: 1曹 Japanese: Issō | Japanese: 2曹 Japanese: Nisō | Japanese: 3曹 Japanese: Sansō | Japanese: 士長 Japanese: Shichō | Japanese: 1士 Japanese: Isshi | Japanese: 2士 Japanese: Nishi | Japanese: 3士 Japanese: Sanshi | |||
| Japanese: 曹長 Japanese: Sōchō | ||||||||||
| Japanese: 自衛官候補生 Japanese: Jieikan-kōhosei | ||||||||||
| U.S.equivalent | 1SG SCPO SMSgt | SFC CPO MSgt | SSG PO1 TSgt | SGT PO2 SSgt | CPL PO3 SrA | PFC SN A1C | PV2 SA Amn | PV1 SR AB | ||