was the 4th Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff of the

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 ...

. A four-star General from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Iwasaki was the highest-ranking military officer in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and ranked third in the overall chain of command (after the Prime Minister and the

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Career

Gift exchange between Gen Shigeru Iwasaki and Gen

Iwasaki was born and raised in

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

and attended Morioka Third High School. He attended the

National Defense Academy of Japan National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, graduating into the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 1975. He is trained to fly the

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...

, Japan's primary jet fighter. In August 1991, then-Lieutenant Colonel Iwasaki took command of the 201st Tactical Fighter Squadron. In December 1997, then-Colonel Iwasaki took command of the 7th Air Wing. In January 2001, then-Major General Iwasaki took command of the 2nd Air Wing. In December 2010, General Iwasaki became the 31st Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. As Chief of Staff, he spearheaded the effort to procure the fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. In January 2012, General Iwasaki was promoted to be Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff, becoming the highest-ranking official in the

. He replaced GSDF General Ryuichi Ariki, and his Vice Chief of Staff was

Kōichi Isobe is a retired lieutenant general in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. He retired from active duty in August 2015, after thirty-five years of service in the Japan Self-Defense Forces. He currently serves as a Strategic Advisor to Kawasaki Heavy ...

. He has presided over a number of significant national security issues, including the renewed Senkaku Islands dispute and the possible revision of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution (following the Liberal Democratic Party's landslide electoral victory in December 2012). In 2015 he was appointed an honorary Officer in the Military Division of the Order of Australia, for his role in enhancing defence engagement and practical co-operation between Australia and Japan."Aust honour for Japanese defence general"
'' News.com.au'', 27 March 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016