Former Self-Defense Force Member Resigns from Defense Medical University Nursing Program and Becomes Sexy Actress

The power harassment issue arose at the Narashino Self-Defense Force, where superiors forced personnel to practice dance on their days off. FRIDAY Digital published an article on August 22. Furthermore, it was revealed that similar problems are occurring with nursing officers (officer Self-Defense Force members with registered nurse licenses). A former Self-Defense Force member disclosed the following:

“From July, applications for students in the Nursing Department of the Defense Medical University (Self-Defense Force candidate nursing students) began, and the deadline is early October. Recently, the number of applicants has been steadily decreasing. In 2014, there were over 3,300 applicants for a capacity of 75, but by 2022, that number dropped to about 1,700, and this year is expected to decline further. Additionally, even after becoming nurses, many continue to quit, and I’ve heard that the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital is struggling to create night shift schedules due to a staff shortage. One of the reasons cited is power harassment.”

 

I was having fun with friends, but…

Renmin Yoshikawa, 27, who entered the Nursing Department (Self-Defense Force course) at the Defense Medical University as the top student in 2015, is one of them who has now transitioned to being a sexy actress.

“I aimed for the Defense Medical University because my grandmother was a nurse, and also due to family circumstances—I wanted to leave home because my relatives didn’t get along very well, so I wanted to attend a boarding school. I also liked to be active, so I took the entrance exam.” (All quotes are from Yoshikawa)

During her student years, she was part of the dance club and was able to interact with nurses who graduated from the technical officer candidate course at the Defense Medical University Hospital, allowing her to hear about real workplace experiences. The officer candidate course required discipline, with four-person rooms and morning roll calls, but she said, “We studied, did club activities, returned to our rooms, and had fun chatting and throwing snack parties with our classmates before going to sleep.”

The ‘Officer Candidate Nursing Course’ that Yoshikawa attended meant that even as a student, she was a Ministry of Defense employee (special national public servant), with entrance fees and tuition waived, and uniforms and meals provided. While enrolled, she received a monthly student allowance, as well as year-end bonuses twice a year. She enjoyed student life while receiving money for four years, but her assigned post after graduation became a turning point.

“I hoped to be assigned to the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital in Setagaya, Tokyo, or Hanshin Hospital, but I ended up in Kyushu. I hadn’t planned for that in my life, so I was completely at a loss. At first, I was confused about working in an unfamiliar place, but in the surgical ward where I was assigned in my first year, I was able to hold on thanks to the encouragement of my classmates.”

However, in her second year at the Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital in 2020, she faced ‘college bullying’ due to the restructuring of wards in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nurse training system at the Self-Defense Forces Hospital, like at other hospitals, involved a one-on-one mentorship where senior nurses instructed and educated new nurses.

“Both my physical and mental strength were tested. In addition to acquiring nursing skills, I had to submit reports, and I became overwhelmed both physically and mentally. I found myself in a situation where tasks kept piling up, and there were times when I didn’t quite understand why, but the tears wouldn’t stop.”

 

Cannot quit without paying 4 million yen

Yoshikawa understood that there was a lot to learn in nursing and that the work could be demanding, but she explained, “With the restructuring of the wards during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of overtime, and some of my classmates had bullying tendencies, which created a stressful environment.”

At one point, Yoshikawa developed an adjustment disorder and was transferred to the fever outpatient clinic, where she encountered a workplace rife with power harassment.

“For example, a patient I was responsible for was moved to another room without any notice. The patient searched for me, and other nurses questioned me, ‘What are you doing right now?’ Afterward, I managed to find the patient and wrote the record.

I believe this happened because I had a bad relationship with a senior nurse at the time, but in another hospital, this could be a case where the senior nurse who put the patient at risk might even be fired. However, in the Self-Defense Forces, there is an absolute belief that anyone who joined even a day earlier (regardless of qualifications or abilities) is superior. In this situation, it felt like I was the one at fault for having a poor relationship with the senior nurse.”

Placed in such an unreasonable situation, Yoshikawa continued to reflect on her circumstances and feelings at that time.

“I could understand being scolded harshly if it was for my growth, but it felt like I was just a stress outlet. It seemed almost taken for granted that tough jobs were simply pushed onto younger staff. Including the earlier incident of suddenly moving the patient to another room, I became fed up with things happening that didn’t benefit the organization or the patients.”

After two years as a nurse, Yoshikawa decided to resign, but she encountered problems that were significantly different from those in private companies. If a graduate of the Defense Medical University resigns from the Self-Defense Forces within six years, they are obligated to repay their tuition fees. For Yoshikawa, this amounted to 4 million yen, and according to regulations, she was required to pay it in a lump sum the month after her resignation, or at most in two installments. The annual interest rate was also high at 14.5%. She was at a loss over how to make the payment.

“At first, I considered making money through affiliate marketing (which doesn’t fall under unauthorized side jobs since it’s not regular income), but I thought it would take too much time and effort before I saw any money. While I knew it was a violation of regulations to earn from night jobs, I realized that, in terms of making money, working in cash-paid adult entertainment was the best option for me.”

In August 2020, shortly after moving to Setagaya to attend the Basic Officer’s Course (BOC) at the Ground Self-Defense Force Health School to learn the fundamentals as a health officer, she began working at a soapland in Yoshiwara, one of Tokyo’s premier adult entertainment districts.

“From my first day of experience, customers were assigned to me, and even when I mentioned, “I have a curfew and need to go home early,” they would ask, “Is the money enough?” and give me extra cash. It was purely a sales-driven environment, and they kept the secrets well, which felt refreshing for me after being in the unreasonable environment of the Self-Defense Forces.”

 

The job of selling sex saved me

Yoshikawa felt not just a sense of ‘having to do it for the money,’ but rather a feeling of being ‘saved.’

“I understand that there are critical views about the job of selling sex. However, I learned a lot and even feel that I was able to shape myself.

By facing my own insecurities and accepting myself, I was able to accept others without awkwardness, and the other person would leave with a satisfied expression. When I couldn’t achieve that, I thought, ‘I am still immature.’ Since I was in the business of selling satisfaction, I worked on improving myself to ensure that I would continue to receive requests for my services. Ideally, that should have been the focus of my work as a nurse in the Self-Defense Forces, but I was not in a position to do that at all.”

After finishing her life working in Yoshiwara while studying at the Self-Defense Forces Health School, Yoshikawa returned to Kyushu and continued working as a nurse while also working at a sex shop in Nakasu, the largest entertainment district in Kyushu, to save money. After two years of working in the adult industry, she was able to pay off the 4 million yen in tuition repayment and leave the Self-Defense Forces. Her retirement pay after three years of service was about 500,000 yen.

She continued working in the adult industry while staying in Kyushu, but upon moving to Tokyo, she was scouted in Shibuya to become an AV actress. The agency was known for producing famous actresses like Sora Aoi, so she decided to debut.

Her debut film was released on April 28, 2023, under the stage name ‘Kasumi Fujimoto.’ The appearance fee was about 400,000 yen. Although it was cheaper because it was a ‘single project,’ this amount is roughly one-third of what it was 30 years ago. Currently, the fees for AV actresses are quite low, with some projects paying around 80,000 yen for a single appearance, while male actors typically earn about 50,000 yen.

Had she continued as a nurse in the Self-Defense Forces, by the age of 27, she would have likely risen two ranks to Second Lieutenant, and with bonuses and allowances, her estimated annual income would have been around 5.5 million yen. Nevertheless, Yoshikawa says she cannot recommend becoming a nurse in the Self-Defense Forces to young people.

Rumors of ‘half already resigned’ among the first-year students

“SDF members aren’t easily fired, and it’s an organization where positions rise strictly by seniority, so salaries continue as long as you cling to it. However, this has led some older members to make decisions based on their own convenience.

For example, there’s a job that involves providing lifestyle and dietary guidance based on health check results, which was temporarily suspended during the COVID period. Young nurses, including myself, tried to revive this at the ground level. We believed that increasing our practical experience would help us grow, but from the perspective of the higher-ups, it meant more work and the need to take responsibility if something went wrong, so they were resistant. I managed to convince several people to change the higher-ups’ minds and revive the job, but I personally wasn’t allowed to do it, with the excuse, ‘It’s not your job.’ Unfortunately, those who want to live correctly often go unrewarded.”

Yoshikawa resigned at the end of March 2022, but at that time, she heard rumors that about half of the first-year students one year ahead of her had already resigned. Had she stayed in the Self-Defense Forces until around the summer of 2022, her promotion to second lieutenant would have been certain.

In March 2022, the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ Iruma Hospital opened, and in January 2023, a nurse hired from outside passed away. According to those involved, the actual working conditions differed from what was explained before employment, and it is said she took her own life due to the demanding workload.

For Self-Defense Forces members, who already face significant pressure, the shortage of nurses means that the reassurance of having someone to rely on in times of crisis is increasingly lost. If we want Self-Defense Forces members to ‘work for the defense of the country,’ isn’t it necessary to address the working environment of the nursing officers who provide backup?