Jsdf

The Japan Self-Defense Forces (自衛隊, Jieitai), JSDF, also referred to as the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), Japan Defense Forces (JDF), or the Japanese Armed Forces (JAF),[5] are the unified military forces of Japan that were established in 1954, and are controlled by the Ministry of Defense. The JSDF is ranked as the world's fourth most-powerful military in conventional capabilities by a Credit Suisse report in 2015 and it has the world's eighth-largest military budget.[6][7] In recent years, it has engaged in international peacekeeping operations with the United Nations.[8]

Tensions, particularly with North Korea,[9] have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society.[10] Military cooperation has increased with India, Republic of China (Taiwan), South Korea, Singapore and the United States.