is the first female admiral of the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

(JMSDF) and the first female in the entire

Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...

(JSDF) to achieve star rank. Originally an

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined area ...

with the degree of

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

, Saeki joined the JMSDF in 1989. After her service in several military hospitals and medical rooms aboard naval vessels, she became the first woman to head a JSDF hospital in 1997, promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

in 2001, and retired in 2003.

Career

A native to the Japanese prefecture of

Gunma is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima P ...

, Hikaru Saeki was born in 1943. Graduating from the

Nippon Medical School is a private university in Sendagi (), Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. History In 1876, Tai Hasegawa () established a medical school in Tokyo. At that time, the Japanese government and the Ministry of Education only permitted one medical school: th ...

in 1969, she worked at the Keio University Hospital (as accoucheur) in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and the

National Defense Medical College The is Japan's six-year university-level military academy under control of the Ministry of Defense whose objectives are to train future military officers who are also medical doctors and current military doctors. Students graduate with an adva ...

Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

. In April 1989, Saeki enrolled into the JMSDF as a physician, commissioned as

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in August 1990, then

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in March 1992. In November 1995, Saeki served as the Chief of Division for Research & Laboratory at the Department of Research & Laboratory, JSDF Central Hospital in Tokyo, then Director, Department of

Gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...

at the same hospital. She was assigned to

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

in December 1997 to take the post of Director, JSDF Hospital Maizuru. For the first time, Japan had a woman in charge of a JSDF Hospital. In March 1999, Saeki was appointed as the Director of JSDF Hospital Sasebo in

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

, and reassigned back to the JSDF Central Hospital in December 2000, this time as its Director for Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. On 27 March 2001, she was formally promoted to the rank of rear admiral by a personnel promotion announcement of Japan's Defense Agency (now Ministry of Dense), making her the first female flag officer of JSDF since its foundation in 1954. Saeki retired with that rank in 2003. Besides serving on several JSDF hospitals and medical rooms aboard JMSDF vessels, Saeki was highly praised for her effort on taking care of

lifestyle disease Lifestyle diseases can be defined as diseases linked with one's lifestyle. These diseases are non-communicable diseases. They are caused by lack of physical activity , unhealthy eating, alcohol, substance use disorders and smoking tobacco, wh ...

during her career as a JMSDF officer. She also conducted the improvement of child care environment inside the Self-Defense Forces, it was under her proposal that the JSDF issued uniforms in the type of maternity dress to pregnant service members.

Marriage

Hikaru Saeki married Seiji Saeki (), who is also a former admiral in the JMSDF, serving as the Vice Chief of Staff, JMSDF and Commander in Chief, Self Defense Fleet. He retired in 1997 with the rank of vice admiral, and was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Japanese government in 2011. It is a rare case among the world's armed forces for a couple to become both flag officers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saeki, Hikaru 1943 births Living people Female admirals Female generals and flag officers of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force admirals Japanese military doctors Japanese women in warfare People from Gunma Prefecture Japanese women physicians