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Japan Wants a Stronger Military. Can It Find Enough Troops?
A shrinking, aging population poses an obstacle as the nation tries to counter security threats from China and North Korea.
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Japanese troops during an amphibious landing exercise in Tokunoshima last month.
By Motoko Rich and Hikari Hida
Photographs and Video by Chang W. Lee
Reporting from Sasebo, Naha and Tokyo in Japan
Dec. 13, 2023, 12:01 a.m. ET
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After 75 years of peace, Japan is facing immense challenges in its rush to build a more formidable military. To understand why, consider the Noshiro, a newly commissioned navy frigate equipped with anti-ship missiles and submarine-tracking sonar.
The vessel was designed with an understaffed force in mind: It can function with about two-thirds of the crew needed to operate a predecessor model. Right now, it puts out to sea with even fewer sailors than that.
On the ship’s bridge, tasks that previously occupied seven or eight crew members have been consolidated into using three or four. The ship’s nurse doubles as dishwasher and cook. Extra sprinklers were installed to compensate for the smaller staff onboard to fight fires at sea.
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Motoko Rich is a reporter in Tokyo, leading coverage of Japan for The Times. More about Motoko Rich
Hikari Hida reports from the Tokyo bureau, where she covers news and features in Japan. She joined The Times in 2020. More about Hikari Hida
Chang W. Lee is a staff photographer for The Times. He was a member of the staff that won two 2002 Pulitzer Prizes: one for Breaking News Photography and the other for Feature Photography. Follow him on Instagram @nytchangster. More about Chang W. Lee
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