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| Japan Self-Defense Forces | |
| Aliases: | 自衛隊 JSDF Japan Self-Defense Force |
| Type: | Military personnel |
| Status: | Active |
| Allies: | United States Navy |
| Enemies: | Godzilla; Rodan; Mothra; King Ghidorah |
| 1st appearance: | Gojira (1954) |
The Japan Self-Defense Forces (自衛隊), often shortened to JSDF, is the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. In recent years they have been engaged in international peacekeeping operations.
Overview[]
The Japan Self-Defense Force is broken down into three major branches, though various subdivisions have been added in certain films throughout the years. These consist of:
- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army)
- Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force)
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Marines)
The JSDF play a major role in science fiction films of the daikaiju ("giant monster") subgenre, going all the way back to the granddaddy monster movie of them all, Gojira, back in 1954; or as Westerners have come to call it, Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Through the various branches of the JSDF, the Japanese military apparatus have had to defend Japan's shores from monster attacks time after time after time, often with mixed results. Their favorite weapons in this venue appear to be toy-like jeeps with radar dishes attached to the backs of them, which seem to do no good whatsoever. Upgraded military vehicles have incorporated maser technology into their arsenal... for all the good that does them.
In the Godzilla film series, fictional adjuncts of the Japan Self-Defense Forces include the Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) which is a government agency, and its military wing, the Japanese Xenomorph Self-Defense Force, both of which are organized for the express purpose of battling monsters.