# Joint Staff Office

The Joint Staff Office (Japanese: 統合幕僚監部, Tōgō bakuryō-kanbu: abbreviation: JSO), also known as the Joint Staff and formerly known as the Joint Staff Council, is one of the administrative agencies within the Government of Japan. It is a special organisation under the Japanese Ministry of Defense responsible for integrating the military operations of the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces. The abbreviation of the agency in Japanese is Tōbaku (統幕).
The JSO is considered to be the equivalent of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of foreign armed forces, including that of the United States. Its predecessor was the Joint Chiefs Council (JSC). The office is located in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
The current Chief of Staff, Joint Staff is General Yoshihide Yoshida, who replaced General Koji Yamazaki after being appointed on 22 March 2023.
On 30 October 2024, Ministry of Defense (MoD) decided to extend Chief of Staff, JS / General Yoshihide Yoshida's term to 29 April 2025.

## Organization

The JSO is divided into four departments as can be seen below. Each department has an associated code beginning with the letter J and a corresponding single-digit number. The Joint Staff also consists of four special staff (Joint Staff Councilor/Director General, Public Affairs Director General and Legal Affairs General).
JSO internal structure:
* General Affairs Department (J-1)
* Operations Department (J-3)
* Logistics (J-4)
* Defense Plans and Policy Department (J-5)
* C4 Systems Department (J-6)
In January 1997, Establishment of Defense Intelligence Headquarters (DIH) in Joint Staff Council (JSC). (The J-2 was abolished.)

## Main Executives

Main Executives :
| Government Post Name | Rank | name | Date of Appointment |
| Chief of Staff, JS | General | Yoshihide Yoshida | 30 March 2023 |
| Vice Chief of Staff, JS | Lieutenant General | Kenichiro Nagumo | 30 March 2023 |
| Senior Enlisted Advisor to the chief of staff | Warrant Officer | Osamu Kai | 6 June 2024 |
| Administrative Vice Chief of Staff, JS | Defense Administrative | Isao Ono | 19 July 2024 |
| Director, General Affairs Department (J-1) | Major General | Keitaro Takaishi | 2 August 2024 |
| Director, Operations Department (J-3) | Vice Admiral | Shinichi Kawamura | 2 August 2024 |
| Director, Defense Plans and Policy Department(J-5) | Major General | Nobutaka Minamikawa | 23 December 2022 |
| Director, C4 Systems Department (J-6) | Major General | Yasuhiro Kato | 29 August 2023 |
| Principal Joint Staff Councilor | Defense Administrative | Yasuhiro Miyamoto | July 2024 |
| Joint Staff Councilor | Defense Administrative | Kyoichi Nakao | October 2024 |
| Director, Public Affairs | Major General | Yuki Sakata | 29 August 2023 |
| Legal Affairs General | Colonel | Junji Shinagawa | 13 March 2023 |
| Director, Logistics (J-4) | Major General | Toshio Imai | 28 March 2024 |

## Duties

The duties of JSO includes the following.
The JSO is responsible for coordinating the activities of the ground, maritime and air service branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
* Vice Chief of Staff, JS support Chief of Staff, JS in fixing and supervising affairs related to JSO.
* Administrative Vice Chief of Staff, JS sum up and organize affairs related to the coordination of important matters related to JSO affairs.
* General Affairs Department is responsible for building work plans related to JSO, account, and benefits.
* Operations Department is in charge of the overall coordination of the action planning and operations related to emergency reaction measures.
* Defense Plans and Policy Department is responsible for defense and security planning from executing mission smoothly through joint operations point of view.
* C4 systems Department is in charge of not only planning and supervising communications necessary for planning actions but also planning and managing the use radio waves.

## Affiliated organizations

Founded in 1961, the Joint Staff College is an affiliated school of the JSO and the Ministry of Defense.