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Samurai sword in new Japan Self-Defense Force emblem causing controversy

Casey Baseel
Sep 9, 2016
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Critics say that adding a katana to the insignia is offensively evocative of Japan’s World War II military aggression.

Japan
(controversy • Japan Self-Defense Forces • Katana • military • samurai • soceity • swords • World War II)

Americans show support to Okinawa after murder, locals ask “Why doesn’t Japanese news show this?”

Scott Wilson
May 31, 2016

Many Americans are showing up to support Okinawa, but Japan isn’t talking about them.

Japan
(controversy • crime • military • Okinawa • U.S. military base)

Japanese military cosplay convention is almost too real【Pics】

Cara Clegg
Mar 25, 2016

Japanese enthusiasts show us that military cosplay is serious business.

Japan
(army • cosplay • military • otaku • photos)

Japan Self-Defence Force poster seems to be repelling more people than it’s recruiting

Meg Murphy
Mar 6, 2016

Join the Defense Force, and you can develop new strengths, protect your country, and…pass giant bobble heads to mysterious shadow men?

Japan
(Anpanman • creepy • Japan Self-Defense Force • military • recruitment posters)

Zero Fighter to fly above Japan once more in demonstration this month

Casey Baseel
Jan 21, 2016

Kyushu event will be iconic aircraft’s first flight in Japan since the end of World War II.

Japan
(history • military • planes • World War II • Zero • Zero fighter)

North Korea claims successful hydrogen bomb test, world very skeptical

KK Miller
Jan 7, 2016

North Korea is beginning the New Year by announcing it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

North Korea
(hydrogen bomb • military • North Korea)

North Korea has developed nuclear-capable missiles capable of hitting the US

BUSINESS INSIDER
Nov 4, 2015

North Korea now has a range of ballistic missiles that are thought to be capable of hitting both the US mainland and American interests throughout the Pacific, The Heritage Foundation reports in its 2016 Index of US Military Strength.

The annual report examines the strength of the US military, and also takes into account potential rising threats to the US and its allies from across the world. According to Heritage, the threat from the nuclear-armed, anti-American authoritarian state will only get more complicated in 2016.

North Korea
(military • missiles • North Korea • nuclear weapons • report)

War and One Piece: How Japan’s constitution was changed

Master Blaster
Sep 20, 2015

The above scene of Japanese elected officials climbing on top of each other like extras in a Pearl Jam music video made headlines worldwide much to the country’s chagrin. And it was in this way that Japan has officially reinterpreted its constitution to allow military deployment to other parts of the world for the first time since World War II.

Yes, rather than through persuasive speech and the rational debate that government was designed to produce, the future course of Japan had been steered by underhanded tricks, shoving matches, and even a decoy legislation made of a One Piece advert.

But were these uncivilized tactics motivated by honest passion and the sheer intensity of the situation, or were the elite of Japanese society simply showing their true nature of political impotence? To find out, let’s take a look at how the whole fracas started.

Japan
(constitution • diet • government • LDP • military • politics • protest • Shinzo Abe)

Kochi high school set to launch Self-Defense Force training course, government totally unaware

Master Blaster
Sep 11, 2015

In a recent interview, the head of Kochi Chuo High School, Masahisa Chikamori, announced that the school would be starting a Self-Defense Force Course in 2016. This course would provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to join Japan’s armed protective organization, including some combat training.

However, both the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology admitted they were unaware of this training program when questioned about it.

Japan
(education • JSDF • kochi • Kochi Chuo High School • military)

10 things you probably didn’t know about Pearl Harbor

Amy Chavez
Mar 2, 2015

The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 marked the day the United States entered World War II. Over three thousand Americans lost their lives in the attack and in 1962 the USS Arizona Memorial was constructed over the sunken battle ship USS Arizona to remember those who lost their lives that day.

But you already know that. This article will tell you some other things about Pearl Harbor that you may not know.

Join us after the jump as RocketNews24 visits Pearl Harbor and helps you bone up on your WWII trivia.

USA
(hawaii • history • Imperial Japanese Army • kamikaze • military • Pearl Harbor • USS Arizona • Word War II • WWII)

South Korean ferry disaster: Rescue ship was fitted with salmon-fishing sonar

Fran W
Dec 11, 2014

Criticism of South Korean naval authorities has intensified as it is revealed that the country’s only salvage and rescue ship was equipped with a fish-finding sonar instead of military-grade equipment.

ATS-II Tongyeong, a naval rescue vessel, was completed in 2012 at a cost of 159 billion won (US $150.7 million). But when the Sewol ferry sank on April 16 this year, Tongyeong was back in the construction yard, unable to be deployed to the rescue mission.

Now, defence suppliers face allegations that in the weeks following the ferry disaster, they knowingly attached a commercial sonar only suitable for salmon-fishing to Tongyeong, and tried to pass it off to the navy.

Korea
(corruption • military • Sewol ferry disaster • South Korea)

Knock ’em dead on the battlefield with this cute military cosplay corset

Cara Clegg
Nov 19, 2014

Girls, have you ever been put off from the army because their uniforms just aren’t cute enough? Well here’s your answer: a KanColle-inspired corset that’s made–to–order!

Japan
(cosplay • fashion • military)

Author insinuates Hayao Miyazaki isn’t right in the head, says The Wind Rises is full of lies

Casey Baseel
Nov 19, 2014

In listening to people talk about anime director Hayao Miyazaki, there’s a collection of words you’ll hear over and over. Genius. Visionary. Legend.

So it was a little surprising to hear the man behind one of Japan’s most popular films from the last year instead voice his suspicions that Miyazaki isn’t quite right in the head.

Japan
(anime • books • Hayao Miyazaki • history • military • movies • Studio Ghibli • The Wind Rises)

Japanese military to receive funding for powered suits, everyone wonders what took so long

Preston Phro
Nov 18, 2014

You probably remember last year when the Internet collectively lost control of its bowels over the announcement that the US military was working on TALOS, a powered suit that wasn’t actually anything like what Tony Stark wears but was close enough to get our hearts racing. News outlets were flooded with reports of Iron Man suits and few could ignore the excitement, though it turns out that making a real powered suit is hard–recent reports suggest TALOS won’t be ready until 2018.

While three or four years isn’t exactly soon, it is pretty quick–though if the US military doesn’t get their hustle on, they may end up being second to the powered suit finish line! It looks like the Japanese government is preparing to throw hundreds of millions of yen at a project to develop a powered-assist suit for soldiers in three years–if it is accepted by the Diet for the 2015 budget.

Internet, Japan
(mech • military • powered-assist suits • TALOS Cyberdyne)

Travel back in time to the Sengoku Era at Sekigahara War Land

Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi
Oct 7, 2014

On October 21, 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu won the famous Battle of Sekigahara which secured his way to rule the shogunate of Japan.

Today, the battlefield where more than 200,000 people perished is but a remnant of ancient history. It is an ordinary town, and only the most maniacal of history buffs would show up to trace the roots of Sekigahara. However, in the center of that town, there is actually a ‘theme park’ where you can learn about history and the famous battle right where it took place, known as the somewhat awkwardly named “Learn! Play! The Immersive War Museum – Sekigahara War Land”.

Japan
(culture • history • military • museum • sekigahara • sightseeing • war)

Confusion as bizarre mass pants-ripping occurs at Chinese military reserve training

Mike
Oct 6, 2014

Chinese media is abuzz with serious concerns about the combat effectiveness of China’s military as it was revealed that, at a recent college military reserve training session, over 100 reservists’ camouflage pants simultaneously ripped out of nowhere.

The explosive rippage was apparently triggered when around 4,500 reservists – both men and women – were commanded by a drill instructor to sit down. We can only assume the drill instructor was the Chinese equivalent of R. Lee Ermy, as some of the reservists apparently took his command so seriously that they sat down with enough force to utterly destroy the stitching in their standard issue pants.

China
(China • funny • military • weird)

Anime con aboard aircraft carrier attracts moe warships of all kinds, from the cute to the manly

Cara Clegg
Sep 23, 2014

This month Kantai Con, ‘the anime convention on an aircraft carrier’, was held aboard the USS Yorktown in South Carolina, and attracted some fabulous cosplayers dressed up as the hottest warships in town.

USA
(anime • convention • cosplay • KanColle • Kantai Collection • military • otaku • warship)

China’s People’s Liberation Army recruitment video promises aerial dog fights, lots of dancing

Master Blaster
Aug 27, 2014

Making a recruitment ad for military service is probably one of the hardest sells around. It’s easy to make someone want to buy a cookie. In fact, I want to buy a cookie just after typing that sentence, but motivating someone to put their life on the line takes a whole lot of finesse.

And finesse is what this new recruitment video for the Chinese communist party’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has in spades. Clearly intended for a younger audience, some of the hipper aspects of military service such as flying helicopters backwards, firing missiles and ensemble dancing are highlighted in this high-adrenaline three-minute promo video.

China
(military • People's Liberation Army • Recruitment)

Japan just held a first-of-its-kind live fire exercise on Mount Fuji【Photos】

BUSINESS INSIDER
Aug 21, 2014

In the shadow of rising tensions in the East China Sea, Japan is holding live fire exercise in the foothills of Mount Fuji until Sunday. Japan has held annual military exercises aimed at protecting its northern territories along its maritime frontier with Russia, although present realities have led to Japan shifting its priorities to island defense.

The exercises, called Fire Power, are aimed at defending outlying Japanese islands from a hypothetical invasion. Fire Power is a first-of-its-kind exercise and follows new national defense guidelines.

Japan
(Fire Power • military • Mount fuji • Shinzo Abe)

U.S. may demand compensation from Japan for having the nerve to snow on its planes

Mike
May 20, 2014

Few can forget the massive snow storm that swept over most of Japan’s main island of Honshu this February. Obscene amounts of snow accumulated everywhere, throwing cities into panic, shutting down Disneyland for the first time in years, and even completely destroying U.S. warplanes like some kind of snow-based Godzilla villain.

But now the U.S. is wading into some touchy political territory, announcing that it’s currently investigating whether or not to demand compensation from Japan to pay for the planes because, come on, obviously that’s Japanese snow.