Photo/Illutration The Defense Ministry building in Tokyo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The Defense Ministry’s Joint Operations Command was established on March 24, unifying command over all three branches of the Self-Defense Forces mainly for “complex situations,” including countering military attacks against Japan.

The headquarters were set up in the Ichigaya district of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, where the ministry is located.

Lt. Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo of the Air SDF became head of the new organization on the same day. It is staffed by 240 people.

Nagumo will take command of each SDF arm during ordinary and emergency situations under direction of the prime minister and the Defense Ministry.

The emergency situations could include multiple-event contingencies, as well as a natural disaster, in addition to the firing of long-range missiles to hit enemy bases as a counterattack.

The command center will also play a role in coordinating more closely with the U.S. military.

The establishment of the JOC was clearly written in three new security-related documents approved by the Fumio Kishida administration at the end of 2022.

“The JOC will enable us to more quickly build a flexible defense system according to the situation or the progress of the situation,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference in mid-March. “It will deepen cooperation between Japan and the United States in interoperability and joint activities.”

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