Joining the Japanese Military

[Jncocontrol]

Hey guys, I'm curious to know what does it take to join the Japanese Military?

I'm sure many are asking "Why would you wanna join the Japanese Military"? Well, the short answer is "Because I don't wanna sit on my butt all day playing video games and going to work, I would like to have some spice in my life".

The long answer is that "Since I've been to and from Japan. Japanese people have been VERY sweet to me, they treated me like a friend, like a brother, and treated me like I was a fellow Japanese person, they have treated me alot better then my entire time in America. I wanna help the country out however possible, trying to improve the economical state just isn't gonna cut it.".

Before anyone ask. I'm unable to join my US military, I'm not interested in the French army, nor the germen army.

At the moment, I don't have a firm grasp of Japanese, but i'm continuing to learn every day.

 

[nekojita]

You would need to be a Japanese citizen. (For obvious reasons not many countries allow foreigners to join the military - except in very specific cases like Commonwealth citizens into the British army).

 

[Jncocontrol]

What if when I get granted japanese citizenship?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

If you GOOGLE "how to become a Japanese citizen' It sounds like you have to live there 5 years to apply and then wait another year for government red tape and give up your US citizenship among other things. I get the feeling you would need to read , write , and speak pretty good Japanese to make it through the process. Might get better info from other members. I loved Japan and wanted to do what you are talking about also. After about a year and a half , the excitement of life in Japan wore off and by the end of the second year , I was happy to return to Maine. Wish you the best of luck though if you go ahead with it.

Uncle Frank

 

[nekojita]

Even if you did manage to get through naturalization (i.e. find a job, reside there for the sufficient period, fulfil all the other requirements, get the paperwork through, wait for the response, etc. - even if "five years" is the minimal time period, nobody gets naturalised five years to the day they landed) - it's almost certain that by the time you made it through naturalization you would be too old to apply.

 

[Jncocontrol]

If you GOOGLE "how to become a Japanese citizen' It sounds like you have to live there 5 years to apply and then wait another year for government red tape and give up your US citizenship among other things. I get the feeling you would need to read , write , and speak pretty good Japanese to make it through the process. Might get better info from other members. I loved Japan and wanted to do what you are talking about also. After about a year and a half , the excitement of life in Japan wore off and by the end of the second year , I was happy to return to Maine. Wish you the best of luck though if you go ahead with it.
Uncle Frank

Arigato

Even if you did manage to get through naturalization (i.e. find a job, reside there for the sufficient period, fulfil all the other requirements, get the paperwork through, wait for the response, etc. - even if "five years" is the minimal time period, nobody gets naturalised five years to the day they landed) - it's almost certain that by the time you made it through naturalization you would be too old to apply.

I've read that the max age i can be to join was 49.I'm only 26, so i think i got enough time on my shoulder.

 

[nekojita]

Where did you read that? The page I linked (in Japanese) says differently. It might be that 49 is the maximum age for active service but taking someone new on (with the time/financial cost of training, etc) is a different matter.

 

[Jncocontrol]

Where did you read that? The page I linked (in Japanese) says differently. It might be that 49 is the maximum age for active service but taking someone new on (with the time/financial cost of training, etc) is a different matter.

I checked wikipedia and they said "Available for
military service - 27,301,443 males, age 18–49"

Military service in Japanese isn't what I would call a controversial issue, so i would take what wikipedia has to say.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

My guess is no military will take someone over 25 unless there is a wartime need and draft system. The physical demands and training period require young physically fit people who may stay in 20 years or more. You have a better chance of getting in the French Foreign Legion (if it still exists) than ever getting into the Japanese forces. In other words , look for a"Plan B" because the chances of your "Plan A" coming true are about the same odds as your winning the Powerball lottery. It is nice to have a dream though I guess?

Uncle Frank

 

[Glenski]

What exactly is your experience being in Japan? You didn't say more than " I've been to and from Japan", and your profiles says nothing.

The reason I'm asking is that people like you pop in fairly often and declare they want to live here forever, yet they have little to no experience here, just visions of what it might be like (often they are false visions).

Second, you have to live and work here for 5 years minimum before you are the least bit eligible for naturalization. That means knowing the language very well (spoken as well as written). Obviously you know that you have to get cracking on that! Moreover, how do you expect to live here during those 5 years? You'll likely have to work, so what will you do for a job, and are you qualified?

Third, Wikipedia says retention of Japanese in the SDF is difficult. That means many of the enlisted don't prefer to stay long. You have to think that this might possibly apply to you, too. That means, you have to think about what you would do after service, i.e., what kind of job could you get?

 

[nekojita]

"Available for military service - 27,301,443 males, age 18–49" only means that theoretically, there are that many men of that age in Japan who could be called up for military service (i.e. under conscription, which seems unlikely). It says nothing about requirements for joining as a new recruit. (For which I will trust the website of the Japanese MOD over Wiki).

49 may well be the upper age limit for active service, but the standard entry route for 自衛官 appears to require you to take and pass the entrance exam before you hit 27. There are higher age limits for certain categories (i.e. they're recruiting nurses up to 36), all of which require specific qualifications and experience.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

My guess is no military will take someone over 25 unless there is a wartime need and draft system. The physical demands and training period require young physically fit people who may stay in 20 years or more. You have a better chance of getting in the French Foreign Legion (if it still exists) than ever getting into the Japanese forces. In other words , look for a"Plan B" because the chances of your "Plan A" coming true are about the same odds as your winning the Powerball lottery. It is nice to have a dream though I guess?

Uncle Frank

This is true unless you have something to offer the military. I talked to a U.S, Naval recruiter about becoming either a nuclear engineer or engineering instructor for them this past year, but I was too old. The cutoff was basically 30 years of age, and the younger the better. The exceptions they did allow were for people with appropriate work experience. The only reason they talked to me with interest was because I'm in engineering. So if you have a skill that they want, the military will work with you to a point.

 

[Cup0Joe]

I know this is an old forum post, but my reply is related, so I will post here rather than make a new thread.
An alternative to getting into the Japanese military would be to find a sponsor in the Naval city of Sasebo in the Nagasaki prefecture for a working holiday visa. In the last month of work ask for a recommendation from the employer so that you can stay on with a work visa. There are a lot of possibilities in that city:

 

[Mike Cash]

I know this is an old forum post, but my reply is related, so I will post here rather than make a new thread.
An alternative to getting into the Japanese military would be to find a sponsor in the Naval city of Sasebo in the Nagasaki prefecture for a working holiday visa. In the last month of work ask for a recommendation from the employer so that you can stay on with a work visa. There are a lot of possibilities in that city:

In what non-farfetched way is that "related"?

 

[Cup0Joe]

In what non-farfetched way is that "related"?

Even if you did manage to get through naturalization (i.e. find a job, reside there for the sufficient period, fulfil all the other requirements, get the paperwork through, wait for the response, etc. - even if "five years" is the minimal time period, nobody gets naturalised five years to the day they landed) - it's almost certain that by the time you made it through naturalization you would be too old to apply.

It's better to reply to a thread that is already started than waste server resources on new pages. Working in Sasebo can allow for recommendations from US navy veterans and can improve the chances of being recruited to the Japanese Military.

 

[nekojita]

Do you know of anybody who has entered the Japanese military by such a route?

Frankly you would have as much chance of getting into the Japanese military via first becoming a Gundam pilot as far as I can tell.

 

[Mike Cash]

It's better to reply to a thread that is already started than waste server resources on new pages. Working in Sasebo can allow for recommendations from US navy veterans and can improve the chances of being recruited to the Japanese Military.

No, it can't.

Did you read the thread? Do you not understand why the OP is not eligible to join under ANY circumstances?

 

[Cup0Joe]

Yes, the Opening Poster didn't meet the requirements of having a work visa. If he or she has a degree of some sort or was a trades person (electrician, welder, etc) he or she might be able to get a work visa if sponsored by a company or trade union in Japan. Once he or she lives in Japan a total of 5 years, he or she can apply for citizenship. Once a citizen, he or she can apply to the military.

 

[Mike Cash]

Yes, the Opening Poster didn't meet the requirements of having a work visa. If he or she has a degree of some sort or was a trades person (electrician, welder, etc) he or she might be able to get a work visa if sponsored by a company or trade union in Japan. Once he or she lives in Japan a total of 5 years, he or she can apply for citizenship. Once a citizen, he or she can apply to the military.

You didn't read it.

The recruiting cutoff age is 27. He's 28 now.

The type of occupations you mention would require at least 10 years experience to be eligible for such a visa. Under your scenario he would have to be a qualified working welder by age 12 at the latest. More like 10.

 

[kaspersky]

Once he or she lives in Japan a total of 5 years, he or she can apply for citizenship. Once a citizen, he or she can apply to the military.

I am not sure that JGSDF or JASDF are interested by gray hair candidates. If he or she is more than 25 years now, it is already too late. Too late!
Actually, it is quite funny to read all those foreign otaku whiling to joint Japanese Police or Military forces knowing they are not even able to read correctly the recruitment posters...

 

[johnnyG]

...
... not many countries allow foreigners to join the military - except in very specific cases like Commonwealth citizens into the British army. ...

This is based on some past reading, but I think the U.S. military also takes non-citizen immigrants, and dangles the completion of that service as a path to citizenship.

 

[nekojita]

Possibly amend that to "citizens or in some countries, permanent residents". Singapore, I think, takes eligible PR (or their kids) for national service.

It's interesting to see this thread resurrected now though, given current events. Wonder if recruitment is down.

 

[Don Posca]

Had to respond.
Yes, the US will take a non-citizen if he has Permanent Resident Status (aka: green card). I went through boot camp with a kid from China who had been in the US less that three months. Barely spoke English, but he picked up the jargon quickly.

Each service has it's own maximum age. Army-35, Air Force-39 (recently raised from 27), Marines-28, Navy-34, Coast Guard-27. Reserves have their own ages too. Prior service is added to the max age, but the Army and Air Force cannot accept a recruit older than 59 regardless of prior service. Also, you cannot attend a military academy if you are older than 22.

All this assumes you can pass the physical tests. This is not hard. I was in slightly better condition than Homer Simpson but I passed the Marine entry test without much trouble.

 

[Mike Cash]

Had to respond.

No, you didn't

None of that has the slightest relation to the topic of this thread.

 

[Don Posca]

Shall I go back and quote all the different posts that talk subjectively about foreign service requirements without any real information?
Or not.
Thank you for the warm welcome to this forum.