Not learning from the Gonoi case: ……The special circumstances of the JGSDF “Hakaider” who was promoted to “General” after the power harassment report.

The fact that a man who has been called a “power harasser” can rise through the ranks without any repercussions suggests that there is no self-cleansing mechanism in the JGSDF. ……

A number of voices of dissatisfaction have been heard from within the JSDF over a certain personnel change that was issued on August 29 this year.

This is a personnel matter concerning Shigeo Kaida, 54. Mr. Kaida is a graduate of the National Defense Academy and has held several important positions, including commander of the 1st Airborne Corps, which is known as an elite unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force. He had been on the road to success in the JSDF.

At the same time, he was known for his excessive guidance and supervision of his subordinates. When he assumed the post of superior, subordinates quit one after another, and the morale of the field staff was lowered. His nickname was “Hakaider,” after his surname.

It was three years ago that allegations of power harassment by Mr. Kaita came to light. Bunshun Online” reported in detail on the behavior of Mr. Karita, who was then commander of the 1st Airborne Corps.

According to the article, he told his subordinates, “Those who cannot manage their money are disqualified from the Self-Defense Forces.” He made them submit documents related to their household finances, including the amount of their savings and outstanding loans, and abused in public those who had less than 1 million yen in savings or were in debt. Other episodes of power harassment by Mr. Kida, such as yelling at subordinates if they were kept waiting for even one minute, were also reported.

A source close to the SDF said, “He was not aware of any relationship between his duties as a SDF officer and his subordinates.

If it is true that he forced his subordinates to submit personal information that had nothing to do with their duties as SDF officers, it is a serious problem from the standpoint of harassment. When this article came out, I could hear people in the JSDF shouting with joy, ‘Hakaider’s misdeeds have finally been exposed in the light of day.

Mr. Kaita denied it, saying, “The article (by Bunshun Online) has no basis in fact! He denied it. However, his promotion to the position of director of the Personnel and Education Department, which had been assured, was subsequently postponed. The Ministry of Defense and the top brass of the JSDF must have seen the gravity of the situation and decided to wait. The position of Director of Personnel and Education is equivalent to that of the head of a personnel department in a private company.

In the end, Mr. Kida was transferred to the position of Director of Operational Support and Training, Ground Staff Office. It was thought that his career would end without any change. However, in August of this year, he was suddenly promoted from assistant general to the No. 2 general in the JGSDF. He was appointed commander of the 4th Division, which is responsible for the defense of Fukuoka and other parts of Kyushu.

The real name of Rina Gonoi, 23, a former JSDF officer who was subjected to a group sexual assault, triggered an accusation, and the Ministry of Defense was forced to take action to prevent the recurrence of harassment and to dismiss the alleged perpetrator from his position on disciplinary grounds. The Ministry of Defense and the upper echelons of the JSDF had to put forward the impression that harassment would not be tolerated, and it was expected that Mr. Kakita would no doubt continue to receive a cold shoulder because of the harassment issue. …… (A person related to the JGSDF)

Why was Mr. Takada able to return to his former position? A senior JSDF official asked the following question.

Mr. Takada is close to Kazuhito Machida, 61, former director general of the Personnel and Education Bureau of the Ministry of Defense, who has a great deal of influence over personnel matters within the JSDF. Another significant factor was that Yasuomi Morishita, 57, a general who highly evaluated Mr. Karita, became the No. 1 chief of the Ground Staff of the JGSDF. The former chief of the Ground Staff, Keishu Yoshida (60), was a graduate of the University of Tokyo and not a graduate of the National Defense Academy, the mainstay of the uniformed personnel.

Morishita, a graduate of the National Defense University, did not take this well. In contrast to Mr. Yoshida, who took a stern stand on the harassment issue, Mr. Morishita was very protective of Mr. Kida, his junior from the National Defense University. Mr. Morishita is said to be tough on his subordinates, but good at getting under the skin of his superiors. There is criticism within the JSDF, saying, “How could they promote a man who was beaten up by allegations of power harassment after the incident with Mr. Gonoi?

An organizational environment that does not tolerate harassment at all must be created to strengthen the foundation for the SDF personnel to exercise their abilities, which are the core of the defense force.

Harassment must never be tolerated in the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces, which are organizations of “people,” as it destroys mutual trust among members and shakes their strength.

Please work firmly to make the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces an organization that is recognized not only by its members but also by the public as an organization where harassment is not tolerated at all.”

On August 18 of this year, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada (67) issued the above call in an internal document in response to the “Proposal for a Fundamental Review of Anti-Harassment Measures” by the Council of Experts established after the incident involving Ms. Gonoi.

This was also notified within the JGSDF. The decision by the Ministry of Defense and the JSDF authorities to promote a senior officer who was reportedly harassed goes against the policy of the JSDF, which aims to be an organization where harassment is not tolerated at all and is recognized by the public.

According to a special audit conducted by the Ministry of Defense within the SDF last year, more than 60% of the approximately 1,325 cases in which harassment was reported did not use counselors or consultation services, indicating a lack of response.

It was also found that in many cases, the counselors suggested negative effects on personnel affairs, and that there were many cases in which the employees hesitated to seek advice because they were concerned about finding the culprits or retaliation. A Ministry of Defense official lamented.

A Ministry of Defense official lamented, “Even if you are the victim of harassment, there is an atmosphere in the unit that says, ‘Don’t go against your superiors’ or ‘Don’t disturb harmony,’ and there is no place to talk about it. I think this is the end of it. On the other hand On the other hand, as in the case of Mr. Kaita’s recent personnel action, even if a person is criticized once, if he or she is on a career path within the “Self Defense Force mura”, he or she can be promoted without any blame. It is as if he has shown both inside and outside the SDF that he is not really motivated to eradicate harassment. I am concerned that it will become increasingly difficult to secure good personnel in the midst of the manpower shortage.

The 4th Division, which Mr. Kida has assumed the top position in, is a large unit. It is also an important area that backs up the front line in the event of a Taiwan emergency. If harassment is rampant in this unit and the division is exhausted, it will directly affect national defense.”

Unless the GSDF seriously attempts to improve the cover-up and laxity toward its own people revealed by the Gonoi incident, the GSDF will not only be abandoned by the public, but will not even be able to fulfill its mission of national defense.