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11 tips to spot (or imitate) a member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces

Casey Baseel Dec 12, 2013
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To the trained eye, a person’s physical features and personality quirks can reveal what they do for a living. The guy with little cuts all over his hands? Likely a chef (or a bare knuckle fighter). The person at a party who effortlessly schmoozes with complete strangers? He’s probably a salesman, or maybe an actor (or an actor playing a salesman). And the individual with the pleasant smell? Most definitely a RocketNews24 writer (no parenthetical joke this time; nothing rivals the pleasing aroma of our creative team).

When your job requires such commitment that it stops being just an occupation and starts becoming a way of life, these traits become all the more telling, such as these ways to quickly spot a member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

While Japan’s military was dismantled following World War II, the Self-Defense Forces, which consist of Ground, Maritime, and Air branches, is tasked with being prepared to defend the country if needed. While Japan hasn’t seen much in the way of invasions since the SDF’s formation, the organization is often mobilized for disaster relief and humanitarian missions both at home and abroad.

Aside from the gratitude of those they’ve offered help to, members of the SDF seem to be getting an extra dose of attention from Japan’s single ladies these days. Similar to the idolization of historical samurai by young women, the men of the SDF are seen by some as harkening back to traditional manly values of strength and dependability, which are just what some women are looking for in a guy.

Women’s Internet portal Menjoy recently shared a list of telltale signs that a man is a member of Japan’s SDF. The original intent was to help women spot an eligible officer/gentleman, and at the same time, there’s nothing stopping our male readers from using this list as a primer in how to project the same female-attracting aura.

1. A unique way of telling time

Much like military members of the English-speaking world use terms like “oh-eight hundred hours,” the SDF has its own phrases for time. Whereas as 10:30 would usually be said as juji sanjuppun in Japanese, for members of the SDF it’s hito maru san maru, or literally “one oh three oh.”

2. They use the word “roger”

This one isn’t entirely unique to the SDF, as guys with other jobs that require frequent radio communication also use the word ryokai (roger). Members of the SDF seem to have a particular fondness for the term, though, even when responding to mundane requests and questions such as “Can you pass the salt?”

3. They say hello with a phrase that usually means “goodbye”

The straight translation of the phrase otsukaresama desu is something along the lines of “You really tired yourself out to help me.” In offices, it’s something coworkers ordinarily say to each before heading home, in recognition of the effort that was put in during the workday.

In the SDF, on the other hand, otsukaresama desu is used as a greeting, perhaps with the assumption that when you’re part of a group that takes its work responsibilities so seriously, it’s safe to assume that whoever you’re talking to was already busting his butt before you got there. With this being such an ingrained part of their communication style, the practice often carries over into their interactions with civilians.

Speaking of which…

4. They use the word “civilian”

For most of us, “civilian” is a word we have to go back and add into our political science term papers after we realize “guys who don’t have any special legal authority” sounds a bit clumsy.

For SDF members, though, this is again a word that comes up all the time in both work and private conversations. Granted, people who work as police-officers or in other government positions of authority also use the term, but it tends to get the most frequent use from SDF members, as civilians usually make up a smaller portion of their professional and social circles.

5. Little things don’t faze them

When your job requires you to be ready to risk your life in order to save someone else’s, you can’t panic every time something goes wrong. SDF members are trained to stay cool and collected, and this rock-like dependability is thought to be another mark in the plus column for bachelorettes.

6. Perfect posture

The mental readiness described above also manifests itself in SDF members’ posture. Being on-call 24 hours a day means they’re never completely relaxed, and with so much time standing at attention under their belts, some SDF members stand so ramrod-straight that at first glance they appear taller than they really are.

7. Military-style clothes look really good on them

After a certain age, it’s hard to get away with wearing a camouflage T-shirt unless you’re actually in the middle of playing paintball. Similarly, for many people, as cool as that army-fatigue style coat seems hanging in the store, once they slip it on, it ends up looking like a half-effort cosplay getup.

Not so for the SDF man, who can wear military-inspired fashion with such ease that he’d actually look more out of place dressed in the latest trends from the boutiques of Shibuya or Harajuku.

8. A strictly-maintained sleeping schedule

Most new SDF recruits live in the barracks, with scheduled times for lights out and reveille in the morning. Many of them eventually move into private quarters after being promoted or getting married, but old habits die hard, and they tend to continue going to bed and getting up at almost exactly the same time every day.

9. They don’t use an umbrella

The SDF shares this rule of conduct with the American military, instituted because holding an umbrella means you’ve got one less hand ready in case you need to spring into action. So while you may spot an SDF member wearing a rain poncho, regulations stipulate you’ll never see one in uniform with an umbrella. Many become so used to getting rained on that it ceases to bother them, and even when off-duty and dressed in civilian attire, they pass on using one.

10. They can move silently

Being combat trained means knowing how to eliminate the sound of your footsteps and stay out of sight. Sometimes their training is so effective that SDF members end up unconsciously sneaking around their own homes, undetected by family members.

11. They don’t gesture with an open hand

The origin of the custom is unclear, but in the SDF, it’s considered bad form to show your palm to someone. In keeping with this, SDF members wave a fist to say goodbye, or raise one to volunteer or ask questions.

And there you have it, 11 quick and easy ways to spot (or imitate) the men of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Thanks for reading! Allow us to see you off in the proper SDF manner.

Source: Menjoy
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