# Chief of Staff, Joint Staff

The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff (Japanese: 統合幕僚長, Hepburn: Tōgō Bakuryō-chō), formerly known as the Chairman of the Joint Staff Council from 1954 to 2006, is the highest-ranking military officer and head of the overall Operational Authority (command) over the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and its three service branches: the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff is primarily held by rank of a four-star rank of General or Admiral, the highest rank in the Japan Self-Defense Force. The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff is selected from among the Chief of Staff, Ground Self-Defense Force, Chief of Staff, Maritime Self-Defense Force and Chief of Staff, Air Self-Defense Force on a rotational basis.
The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff oversees and synchronizes all JSDF services and commands in national defense, primarily on defense coordination and defense preparedness, including three branches' Major Commands, the Chief of the Ground Staff, the Chief of the Maritime Staff, and the Chief of Staff, Air Self-Defense Force. The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff also assists the Minister of Defense on all matters of the JSDF, as well as for both national security and defense matters, such as the formation of defense postures and strategies, policy implementations, and the creation of military doctrines within the country and executes orders of the Minister of Defense with directions from the Prime Minister, who serves as the Commander-in-chief of the JSDF.

## Structure and Responsibilities

The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, is the head of the Joint Staff (統合幕僚監部, Tōgō Bakuryō Kanbu), which consists of the Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, the Administrative Vice Chief of Staff, as well as the Joint Staff's five departments and three special staff offices. The Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff serves as the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff's primary assistant in overall national defense coordination while the Administrative Vice Chief of Staff assists the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff in administrative matters. The Joint Staff's five departments are the General Affairs Department, Operations Department, Defense Plans and Policy Department, C4 Systems Department and the Logistics Department, while the three special staff are the Joint Staff Councilor, Public Affairs, and the Legal Affairs General.
The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff supervises the service branches operations of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and their powers are limited to policy formation and defense coordination during peacetime. In wartime, the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff commands all units within the JSDF and exercises complete authority to all units. The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff will also be responsible for commanding all defense initiatives, conduct various defense operations and implement strategies that can be utilized by the state, under the directive of the Minister of Defense and the command of the Prime Minister, which gives all JSDF services to create measures in order to ensure the country's defense and sovereignty. The chain of operational authority runs from the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff to the commanders of the several Operational Commands. Each service branch is headed by its respective chief of staff, who has administrative control over its own services.

## Retirement and Conferment of Decoration

The mandatory retirement age for generals who were appointed as the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff is 62 years old. Under these circumstances, the Prime Minister, under the guidance of the Ministry of Defense, has the power appoint a new Chief of Staff, Joint Staff within the Joint Staff council or extend the term of the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff at their pleasure. Upon reaching the age of 70, under Japan's honours system, the former Chiefs of Staff, Joint Staff are to be awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class. The creation of upgrading the level of the order from Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd class to Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class, was made by Shinzo Abe in 2015, which serves as a measure to recognize the former Chiefs of Staff, Joint Staff efforts in their service to the JSDF.

## List of officeholders

The current Chief of Staff, Joint Staff is General Yoshihide Yoshida, who took office in March 2023.

### Chairman of the Joint Staff Council

| No. | Chairman of the Joint Staff Council | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Hayashi, KeizōLieutenant General Keizō Hayashi 林 敬三 (1907–1991) | 1 July 1954 | 13 August 1964 | 10 years, 43 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 2 | Ichizo, SugieAdmiral Sugie Ichizo 杉江一三 (1908–1999) | 14 August 1964 | 29 April 1966 | 1 year, 258 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 3 | Yoshihide, AmanoGeneral Amano Yoshihide [ja] 天野良英 (1910–2001) | 30 April 1966 | 14 November 1967 | 1 year, 198 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 4 | Muta, HirokuniGeneral Hirokuni Muta [ja] 牟田弘國 (1910–1987) | 15 November 1967 | 30 June 1969 | 1 year, 227 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 5 | Itaya, RyuichiAdmiral Ryuichi Itaya 板谷隆一 (1911–1991) | 1 June 1969 | 31 May 1971 | 1 year, 364 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 6 | Kinugasa, HayaoAdmiral Hayao Kinugasa 衣笠駿雄 (1915–2007) | 1 June 1971 | 31 January 1973 | 1 year, 214 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 7 | Nakamura, RyuheiGeneral Ryuhei Nakamura [ja] 中村龍平 (1916–2008) | 1 February 1973 | 30 June 1974 | 1 year, 149 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 8 | Shirakawa, MotoharuGeneral Motoharu Shirakawa [ja] 白川元春 (1918–2008) | 1 July 1974 | 15 March 1976 | 1 year, 258 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 9 | Samejima, HirokazuAdmiral Hirokazu Samejima [ja] 鮫島博一 (1918–2000) | 16 March 1976 | 19 October 1977 | 1 year, 217 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 10 | Kurisu, HiroomiGeneral Hiroomi Kurisu [ja] 栗栖弘臣 (1920–2004) | 20 October 1977 | 27 July 1978 | 280 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 11 | Takae, TakehikoGeneral Takehiko Takae [ja] 高品武彦 (1922–2014) | 27 July 1978 | 31 July 1979 | 1 year, 4 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 12 | Takeda, GoroGeneral Goro Takeda 竹田五郎 (1921–2020) | 1 August 1979 | 15 February 1981 | 1 year, 198 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 13 | Yada, KunioAdmiral Kunio Yada [ja] 矢田次夫 (1923–2012) | 16 February 1981 | 15 March 1983 | 2 years, 27 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 14 | Murai, SumioGeneral Sumio Murai [ja] 村井澄夫 (born 1925) | 16 March 1983 | 30 June 1984 | 1 year, 106 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 15 | Watanabe, KeitaroGeneral Keitaro Watanabe [ja] 渡部敬太郎 (1927–1997) | 1 July 1984 | 5 February 1986 | 1 year, 219 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 16 | Mori,Shigehiro[https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8C53TF2/download ]General Shigehiro Mori (general) [ja] 森繁弘 (born 1928) | 6 February 1986 | 10 December 1987 | 1 year, 307 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 17 | Masao, IshiiGeneral Ishii Masao [ja] 石井政雄 (1931–2007) | 11 December 1987 | 15 March 1990 | 2 years, 94 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 18 | Terashima, TaizoGeneral Taizo Terashima [ja] 寺島泰三 (born 1933) | 16 March 1990 | 30 June 1991 | 1 year, 106 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 19 | Sakuma, HajimeAdmiral Hajime Sakuma [ja] 佐久間一 (1935–2014) | 1 July 1991 | 30 June 1993 | 1 year, 364 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 20 | Nishimoto, TetsuyaGeneral Tetsuya Nishimoto [ja] 西元徹也 (1936–2024) | 1 July 1993 | 24 March 1996 | 2 years, 267 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 21 | Shigeru, SugiyamaGeneral Sugiyama Shigeru [ja] 杉山蕃 (born 1938) | 25 March 1996 | 12 October 1997 | 1 year, 201 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 22 | Natsukawa, KazuyaAdmiral Kazuya Natsukawa [ja] 夏川和也 (born 1940) | 13 October 1997 | 30 March 1999 | 1 year, 168 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 23 | Fujinawa, YujiGeneral Yuji Fujinawa 藤縄祐爾 (born 1941) | 31 March 1999 | 26 March 2001 | 1 year, 360 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 24 | Takegochi, ShojiGeneral Shoji Takegochi [ja] 竹河内捷次 (born 1943) | 27 March 2001 | 27 January 2003 | 1 year, 306 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 25 | Ishikawa, ToruAdmiral Toru Ishikawa [ja] 石川亨 (born 1944) | 28 January 2003 | 29 August 2004 | 1 year, 214 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 26 | Massaki, HajimeGeneral Hajime Massaki [ja] 先崎一 (born 1944) | 30 August 2004 | 26 March 2006 | 1 year, 208 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |

### Chief of Staff, Joint Staff

| No. | Chief of Staff, Joint Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 26 | Massaki, HajimeGeneral Hajime Massaki [ja] 先 崎一 (born 1944) | 27 March 2006 | 3 August 2006 | 129 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 27 | Saito, TakashiAdmiral Takashi Saito (admiral) [ja] 齋藤 隆 (born 1948) | 4 August 2006 | 23 March 2009 | 2 years, 231 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 28 | Oriki, RyoichiGeneral Ryoichi Oriki [ja] 折木 良一 (born 1950) | 24 March 2009 | 30 January 2012 | 2 years, 312 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 29 | Iwasaki, ShigeruGeneral Shigeru Iwasaki 岩崎茂 (born 1953) | 31 January 2012 | 13 October 2014 | 2 years, 255 days | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| 30 | Kawano, KatsutoshiAdmiral Katsutoshi Kawano 河野 克俊 (born 1954) | 14 October 2014 | 31 March 2019 | 4 years, 168 days | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| 31 | Yamazaki, KōjiGeneral Kōji Yamazaki 山崎 幸二 (born 1961) | 1 April 2019 | 29 March 2023 | 3 years, 362 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| 32 | Yamazaki, KōjiGeneral Yoshihide Yoshida 吉田 圭秀 (born 1962) | 30 March 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 261 days | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |