Address by Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru at the Graduation Ceremony of the National Defense Academy

Today, as we hold the graduation ceremony for the prestigious National Defense Academy (NDA) here at Obaradai, Yokosuka, I, as Prime Minister, extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduating class.

Congratulations on your graduation!

I believe the days you dedicated to studies at the NDA are truly invaluable. Your daily life was surely not an easy journey, but a challenging one, as you diligently completed rigorous education and training programs and had passionate discussions with your peers, sometimes laughing together. In doing so, you supported each other, deepened your bonds with your classmates and devoted yourselves to your studies, training and extracurricular activities, reaching this significant day. From now on, you will bear the expectations of the people and engage in the noble mission as SDF officers. Witnessing your confident expressions and dignified presence, I am convinced you will fulfill the people's expectations. As the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF, I express my profound respect.

In 2002, the year many of you were born, I was appointed Director-General of the Defense Agency in the Koizumi Cabinet, assuming the weighty responsibility of guiding Japan's defense. I still vividly remember giving a speech to the graduates at that time, right here, on March 23 of the following year. And you, who were just tiny babies back then, have now grown into reliable officers, about to assume your duties at the core of the nation’s defense capabilities.

During that time, the security environment surrounding our nation has significantly changed. China continues and even intensifies its unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas. North Korea repeatedly launches ballistic missiles, rapidly enhancing its military capabilities. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ongoing, North Korean soldiers have reportedly been dispatched to Russia. Many people now share these concerns: “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow.”

Under such security circumstances, our responsibility is to fully protect our nation’s independence and peace, the lives of our citizens, and their peaceful livelihoods. The situation in Ukraine clearly demonstrates how an ordinary, everyday life can be lost when a military invasion occurs. Therefore, we must enhance our deterrence to prevent such threats from reaching our nation. The fundamental strengthening of our defense capabilities is essential to enhance our own deterrence, and we will continue to work on this based on the National Security Strategy and other related documents.

However, strengthening our defense capabilities is not simply a matter of increasing the SDF’s equipment. The greatest foundation of our defense capabilities is our people. Each and every one of you is at the core of our defense capabilities, and the efforts of each and every one of you directly contribute to strengthening our nation's deterrence.

I am convinced that the SDF and its personnel deserve the highest honor. You all take an oath of service, pledging to “undertake the fulfillment of our duties, risking danger when necessary, and thereby responding to the trust placed in us by the people.” I want you, who take such an oath, to have pride and honor in serving in the SDF, and to be able to devote yourselves to your duties with a sense of self-fulfillment. Furthermore, I want you to be able to thrive in society after retirement, utilizing the knowledge and skills you have acquired in the SDF. To this end, I will take the lead, together with Defense Minister Nakatani, in working to improve your treatment.

At the same time, it is required that the SDF maintain the highest discipline. The highest honor and the highest discipline are what the SDF must ensure. For the people, the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces are what the people can rely on as the last resort. To fulfill that role, the SDF must be an organization that earns the complete trust of the people. In recent years, nearly 90% of the public has a positive impression of the SDF, obviously owing to the efforts of your predecessors, who have abided by the oath of service, fulfilling and continuing to fulfill the mission of “defending the nation.” I want you to carry on this legacy based on the efforts of your predecessors. Maintain strict discipline, show zero tolerance for harassment, demonstrate leadership in line with this era, and faithfully respond to the trust of the people, in accordance with your oath of service. These are indispensable qualities demanded of you as SDF officers leading the organization. I strongly urge you to dedicate yourselves to your duties with a strong resolve and sense of responsibility.

In 2003, when I was the Director-General of the Defense Agency, there was an unforgettable incident. Japan had decided to dispatch SDF units to support the reconstruction of Iraq, and on December 24 of that year, Christmas Eve, a completion ceremony for the Air SDF transport aircraft unit was held at the Air Self-Defense Force Komaki base in Aichi Prefecture, with then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi attending. December 24 was the day when many young people were celebrating Christmas, but we held the completion ceremony. At the send-off party, a young Air SDF member who was about to be deployed shook my hand. He told me that he had received an address from the Prime Minister, encouragement from the Director-General of the Defense Agency, and that he had taken commemorative photos. He said he had even shaken hands with us and been told: "Good luck." Yet, until that moment, he had not fully understood why he had to go. However, he also said that the people of Iraq desperately needed access to clean water, repaired roads, and rebuilt schools, while a survey conducted by a British polling organization at the time showed that Japan was the most desired country to come. Therefore, he realized that, although the fighting had ended, dangers still remained, and that the SDF was the only Japanese organization that could respond to the wishes of the Iraqi people, as he had heard from the Prime Minister and the Director-General of the Defense Agency. He said, "Today is the best Christmas for me. Director-General, I'll go with pride," and I will never forget those words for the rest of my life. I have always cherished every SDF member who carries out their difficult mission with pride and sincerity. This sentiment remains unchanged to this day.

This year, 2025, marks exactly 100 years since the start of the Showa era. This January, we commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and this August, we will observe the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. In this significant year, you are embarking on your journey as SDF officers. I hope that you will keep asking yourselves what Japan should do for the future, what we should leave for the next generation, and what you should do to achieve that, while also significantly growing both as SDF officers and as individuals.

For the international students, today marks the conclusion of your studies here at the National Defense Academy. Leaving your familiar homelands, you may have encountered challenges amd moments of confusion with Japanese culture. However, the knowledge and experiences you have gained through your time here, along with the bonds you formed with your fellow students, will surely become irreplaceable memories that you will cherish for your lifetime. Even after you leave Japan, you will remain graduates of the National Defense Academy. I sincerely hope that with pride, you will thrive in your respective homelands and serve as bridges of friendship between your countries and Japan. I also hope that you will share the unique qualities and the richness of the NDA and Japan with the people of your home countries.

To the families of our students, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation for entrusting your precious family members to this institution. Last year, I established a meeting of relevant ministers, of which I myself serve as chair, to implement various measures aimed at improving the treatment and working environment of SDF personnel and establishing new career paths. We have recently compiled a basic policy based on these measures. Initiatives based on this policy are already underway, and we will build a comprehensive system so that your cherished family members can devote themselves to the extremely noble mission of national defense with pride and honor as SDF personnel. I assure you that the Government, as a whole, will make every effort to ensure that you can truly say, “it was deeply meaningful that our family member became an SDF member.”

As I mentioned earlier, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. I believe you all have read many books. I would like to introduce one book to you: a paperback titled “The Last of the Battleship Yamato” written by Mitsuru Yoshida. I will not discuss its details here, but I can tell you that it profoundly moved me as it explores the questions of what a nation is, what it means to live, and what it means to defend one’s country. I strongly recommend that you read it. Mitsuru Yoshida, “The Last of the Battleship Yamato.”

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have shown tremendous kindness and support to the NDA. I also extend my heartfelt respect to President Kubo Fumiaki and all the faculty and staff who have dedicated themselves with deep affection to educating the students who will become future SDF officers. And with my wishes for the continued development of the NDA, I conclude my address and parting words for the graduates.