SEXUAL HARASSMENT
In an effort to halt the decline, in 2018 Japan increased the maximum age for new soldiers to 32 from 26.
Another solution, the July report said, is to use more unmanned vehicles in the air, on sea and on land.
The army is even reportedly considering allowing recruits with tattoos – markings traditionally associated with “yakuza” gangsters.
Japan also aims to increase the proportion of women by 2030 to 13 per cent, from 9 per cent at present.
Featuring photos of smiling servicewomen, the Defence Ministry website promises “an environment adapted to women”.
But according to Fumika Sato, professor of military sociology and gender sociology at Hitotsubashi University, there is a considerable gap with “reality on the ground”.
The army is “an environment conducive to harassment and sexual violence”, she told AFP.
The army has been roiled for the past year by a series of damaging revelations of sexual assault within its ranks.
They started when former soldier Rina Gonoi went public with explosive allegations of abuse that drew major attention.
There is no concrete evidence of a link, but in the year to March 2023, the number of female recruits tumbled 12 per cent, having previously risen every year since 2017.
“Things were happening in my company that could have had the same repercussions,” admitted Kodai Suzuki, 27, another former soldier.
“What parents would let their daughter join such an institution?” a serving junior officer said on condition of anonymity.
Source: CNA
