WYoshifumi Hibako is a member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces who served as the 31st Chief of Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. A graduate of the National Defense Academy of Japan, he later returned to serve as vice-president of the Academy. He has served in multiple capacities, including the chief of staffs of the GSDF Northern Army during the Iraq War, commanding officer of the Chūbu region Army Headquarters, and has even acted as a Japanese foreign representative when meeting officers of other countries.
WAdmiral Hiroshi Yamamura is a Japanese naval officer who serves as the 34th and incumbent Chief of Staff of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) since March 2019. Before that he had previously served as JMSDF Deputy Chief of Staff since December 2016. His other commands included the Fleet Escort Force, and the Escort Flotilla 4, served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Defense Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, and as Chief of Defense Section, Defense Division, Maritime Staff Division, and serving as the captain of the JS Mineyuki.
WKōichi Isobe is a retired lieutenant general in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. He retired from active duty in August 2015, after thirty-five years of service in the Japan Self-Defense Forces. He currently serves as a Strategic Advisor to Kawasaki Heavy Industries. He also serves Senior Fellows of Harvard University Asia Center, and Asia Pacific Initiative Foundation.
WShigeru Iwasaki was the 4th Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. A four-star General from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Iwasaki was the highest-ranking military officer in Japan and ranked third in the overall chain of command.
WHaruhiko Kataoka was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the de facto air force of Japan.
WKatsutoshi Kawano is a Japanese admiral who is serving as the 5th Chief of Staff, Joint Staff and is the highest-ranking officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces since 15 October 2014 until March 31, 2019, the longest serving Chief of Staff, Joint Staff. Prior to his appointment, he was the 31st Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the de facto navy of Japan.
WEiji Kimizuka was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the de facto army of Japan. He was promoted to four-star General and assumed the position on August 5, 2011.
WFirst Lieutenant Misa Matsushima is the first female fighter pilot in Japan.
WSatoshi Morimoto is a Japanese politician, scholar and critic specializing in international politics and national security. He was Minister of Defense from July to December 2012, and is professor at Takushoku University and member of the Congressional Forum for New Japan.
WYoshihiro Murai is a Japanese politician and current governor of Miyagi Prefecture. A native of Toyonaka, Osaka and former serviceman of Japan Self-Defense Forces, he was first elected governor in 2005 after serving in the assembly of the prefecture since 1995.
WGen Nakatani is a Japanese politician who was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency in the first cabinet of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001-2002 and was appointed as the Minister of Defense by current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014.
WMasahisa Sato is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet. A native of Fukushima Prefecture, he graduated from National Defense Academy of Japan with a major in applied physics and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). In the JGSDF, he was the commander of the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group. After his retirement as colonel in 2007, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007.
WTomohisa Takei is a retired Japanese admiral serving as the 32nd Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Born in the Japanese prefecture of Nagano, Takei was commissioned into the JMSDF on March 1979 following his graduation from the 23rd class of National Defense Academy. After 35 years of service, Takei assumed position of JMSDF Chief of Staff in 2014.
WGeneral Toshio Tamogami is a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force career military officer. He served as the Chief of Staff of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force from March 2007 until October 2008. Tamogami turned to politics in 2014 as a candidate for governor of Tokyo and for the House of Representatives; he was arrested in April 2016 for alleged violations of campaign finance laws in relation to his gubernatorial campaign.
WKimiya Yui is a Japanese astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He was selected for the agency in 2009.