Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� November, 2002

Ceremony to Commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Establishment of the National Defense Academy Sunday, November 17, 2002 (Photograph by Jiji Press) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the National Defense Academy of Japan to attend the Ceremony to Commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Establishment of the Academy. Established in 1952 as the National Safety Academy, the National Defense Academy trains cadets who will be Self-Defense Force officers. The Academy was renamed as the National Defense Academy in 1954 together with the establishment of the Self-Defense Forces. Over the past fifty years approximately 20,000 students have graduated from the Academy. In his remarks, Prime Minister Koizumi stressed the importance of the international contributions made by the Self-Defense Forces, stating, "the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 demonstrated that international terrorism is a threat to the international community. The Self-Defense Forces are called upon to fulfill the role of protecting Japan as well as to act to ensure the peace and stability of the international community."