Japan Recruits Over 11,000 for Self-Defense Forces in Fiscal 2025

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces recruited more than 11,000 personnel in fiscal 2025, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced last week. 9 percent increase from the previous year, and officer-candidate recruitment rose by roughly 35 percent. The gains come as Tokyo confronts a shrinking pool of potential recruits.

Some analysts estimate the Self-Defense Forces could shrink by 10 percent to 15 percent over the coming decade. Japan has already raised defense spending to nearly 2 percent of gross domestic product and removed several postwar restrictions on its military.

A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle participated in a live-fire exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.

The Japan Times reported that Japan is investing in artificial intelligence and uncrewed aerial, surface, and underwater systems to help bridge the gap between security needs and available personnel. The MQ-9B SeaGuardian surveillance drone and the SHIELD coastal defense network are expected to play central roles in the future force structure.

Hirohito Ogi, a defense strategy expert at the International House of Japan, said the primary purpose of acquiring uncrewed systems is to improve the survivability of Japanese troops in a potential conflict.

Masashi Murano, a Japan defense analyst, noted that long-endurance drones could monitor large ocean areas and that uncrewed surface and underwater vessels could help track submarines and protect sea lanes during an emergency over Taiwan or Japan’s southwestern islands.

Defense planners believe autonomous systems could allow a smaller force to generate greater combat power. Koizumi said recent improvements in pay, working conditions, and career opportunities contributed to the higher recruitment numbers.