Latest news with #SelfDefenseForces
Japan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
SDF aircraft depart for Djibouti to evacuate Japanese nationals
Two Air Self-Defense Force transport aircraft left Japan for Djibouti on Saturday to prepare to evacuate Japanese nationals from Israel and Iran. The C-2 aircraft took off from the ASDF's Miho base in the western prefecture of Tottori around 2:45 to 3 p.m., heading for the East African country, where the SDF has a base. At the request of Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Thursday ordered the Self-Defense Forces to prepare to transport Japanese nationals amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Such a transportation mission using SDF aircraft was last conducted in Lebanon last October. On Friday, the Foreign Ministry said that a total of 87 Japanese nationals and their family members living in Israel and Iran, were evacuated to neighboring countries by Japanese government-chartered buses. About 1,000 Japanese nationals are believed to remain in Israel, and some 220 in Iran. The Japanese government plans to conduct a second round of evacuations by bus in Iran as early as Saturday.
CNA
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Japan prepares planes for Iran, Israel evacuations
TOKYO: Japan has ordered military planes to be on standby to evacuate its nationals from Iran and Israel, Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Thursday (Jun 19). "In view of the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, we have decided to move Self-Defense Forces aircraft to Djibouti," he told reporters. Around 1,000 Japanese nationals are believed to live in Israel, and around 280 in Iran, defence minister Gen Nakatani said, citing the foreign ministry. The Japanese embassies in Iran and Israel are preparing to use buses to evacuate citizens to neighbouring countries, Hayashi said, as the war entered its seventh day. That could happen as early as Thursday, Hayashi added, declining to elaborate due to security concerns. The C-2 transport planes will "be on standby in order to respond promptly, should transport of Japanese nationals become necessary", Hayshi said. Earlier, Japanese media reports said Tokyo was preparing to evacuate around 90 people, including Japanese nationals and their family members, from Iran by bus. Officials were also preparing a separate operation to evacuate Japanese nationals from Israel to Jordan, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday evening.
NHK
12-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Japan's SDF chief expresses concern about Chinese fighter's abnormal proximity
The chief of Japan's Self-Defense Forces has expressed serious concerns about a Chinese fighter jet that flew extremely close to an SDF patrol plane over the sea. The Defense Ministry said the Maritime SDF's P-3C aircraft was followed by a Chinese fighter during its surveillance flight over the Pacific around Japan on Saturday and Sunday. It said that at one point in time the Chinese fighter approached with an abnormal proximity of about 45 meters. Yoshida Yoshihide, chief of staff of the SDF Joint Staff, told reporters on Thursday that he does not think the Chinese fighter jet got so close by mistake, and said the abnormal approach is a serious act that could induce an accidental collision. Yoshida noted that the SDF must be vigilant as the Chinese military expands its area of movement and intensifies its activities. He added that a sense of crisis is intensifying. He stressed the importance of the SDF to constantly demonstrate its will and capability to prevent any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force. Yoshida declined to comment on whether defense officials communicated on a hotline with their Chinese counterparts regarding this matter.
Malay Mail
09-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Explosion at US air base in Japan's Okinawa injures four soldiers
TOKYO, June 9 — An explosion injured four men at a Japanese facility for storing unexploded bombs at a US air base in Okinawa today, a fire official said, with their condition reportedly not critical. Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members at the facility at Kadena Air Base were trying to wipe rust off items at the facility to re-assess if they were bombs, said local fire department official Akira Kamiunten. During that process there was an explosion that injured four male SDF members who were rushed to hospital, he told AFP. Jiji Press and other local media said none of the injuries was life-threatening. A defence ministry spokesman also confirmed reports of an explosion at Kadena Air Base, located on the main island of the southern region of Okinawa. During World War II, Japan used Okinawa as a buffer to slow US forces. More than a quarter of the main island's civilian population died in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. US occupation only ended there in 1972, under a mutual treaty that left American bases in place. Today, Okinawa contains 70 per cent of the land used for US bases in Japan, and more than half of the 50,000-strong US troop presence. — AFP
NHK
09-06-2025
- NHK
Explosion at US base in southern Japan injures 4 SDF members
An explosion at a US military base in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, has injured four members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Police say fire officials informed them of the blast in Yomitan Village on Monday morning. Prefectural officials say the blast occurred at a temporary warehouse for unexploded bombs. The facility, located in the Kadena ammunition storage area, is overseen by the prefectural government. The officials say none of the four injured SDF personnel is in life-threatening condition.
