, also simply known as the JMSDF Sasebo Naval Base, is a group of ports and land facilities of the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force The , 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 ( ...

(JMSDF), which are scattered in multiple districts of

Sasebo City is a Core cities of Japan, core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is the second-largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. , the city had an estimated population of 230,873 in 102,670 households, and a populat ...

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

, and where the are located.

Background

On September 16, 1953, it was newly reorganized by the National Safety Agency's Coastal Safety Force with the mission of protecting the West Sea. When the Sasebo District Force was reorganized, the Coastal Security Force had nominated Sasebo from the beginning, but after the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

, Sasebo City planned to transform into a peaceful industrial city under the Former Military Port City Conversion Law. Therefore, it was not always active in attracting guards. Imari City had been actively campaigning to attract guard bases there. Hoping to attract the force suddenly increased in Sasebo City, and they decided to provide the site of the former Navy Defense Force (Hizukushimachi), which had started to be developed as a fishery base. Eventually, Tokutaro Kimura, Commissioner of the

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard responsible for the protection of the Geography of Japan#Composition, topography and geography, coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It consists of about ...

, visited Sasebo and Imari, and decided to set up a guard base in Sasebo. The security area is west of

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...

on the

Tsushima Strait or Eastern Channel (; ''Dongsuro'') is a channel of the Korea Strait, which lies between Korea and Japan, connecting the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea. The strait is the channel to the east and southeast of Tsushima Isl ...

and the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

side, and west of

Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...

on the Pacific side.

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders ...

Saga Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...

Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan, mainly located on the island of Kyūshū, although it also includes a number of islands off Kyūshū's northwest coast - including Tsushima and Iki. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,246,4 ...

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture t ...

and

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

, and the boundary between

Shimane is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamagu ...

and Yamaguchi prefectures are drawn at 315 degrees from the intersection with the coastline. From the point where the border between Ube and Yamaguchi intersects with the coastline, the line where the border between

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

and Oita intersects with the coastline, and the border between Miyazaki and

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

intersects with the coastline. The coastal waters of these prefectures between the 170 degree line. The main duties are security and defense in the security area in charge, disaster dispatch, logistical support for front units such as the Self Defense Fleet, removal and disposal of

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive weapon placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Similar to anti-personnel mine, anti-personnel and other land mines, and unlike purpose launched naval depth charges, they are ...

s and explosive

dangerous goods Dangerous goods are substances that are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment during transport. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabically abbreviate ...

, and civil-military cooperation. The force of the ships belonging to the Sasebo District Force consists of the 43rd Mine Warfare Force, deployed in the 3rd Missile Boat Corps and the Shimonoseki Base Corps, and the 46th Mine Warfare Force, deployed in the Okinawa Base Corps. As a force user (responsible for dealing with situations), they operate escort vessels and

rotorcraft A rotary-wing aircraft, rotorwing aircraft or rotorcraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotor wing, rotary wings that spin around a vertical mast to generate lift (force), lift. Part 1 (Definitions and Abbreviations) of Subchapter A of Chapt ...

and provide the escort fleet and aviation groups to deal with situations. In recent years, s have been deployed in sequence to prepare for craft ships to

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. In addition, on March 26, 2019, the Aiura Garrison Sakibe Branch was established in the Sakibe area, where the Ground Self-Defense Force Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade Combat Landing Battalion is stationed.

History

On 1 August 1952, the National Safety Agency Coastal Safety Force was established, and the Sasebo Route Enlightenment Corps was newly formed under the control of the Yokosuka District Force. On November 25 Sasebo City Council approves provision to the guards of the former garrison site in the Kurashima area. On 28 August 1953, a general supervision department was set up for the southwestern part of the Guard in Sasebo. On September 16, the new edition of the Sasebo District Force of the Guard was created, established by the District General Administration Department and the Sasebo Base Guard. On November 14, the opening of the District General Administration Department at the site of the former garrison in the Kurashima area. On 1 July 1954, the National Safety Agency Guard was reorganized into the Defense Agency Maritime Self-Defense Force. In March 1968, Sasebo District General Manager relocated to the current location. On 3 November 1971, the Maritime Self-Defense Force observing ceremony was held in Sasebo. 45 ships and 61 aircraft participated. On 15 October 1980, Self-Defense Force Sasebo Hospital was opened. On March 31, 1986, marked the completion of the first pier for 5,000-ton class destroyers in the Hirase area. In May 1989, the second pier in the Hirase area was completed. In March 2019 the Ground Self-Defense Force Sakibe branch office opened in Sakibe district. At the end of March 2021, the Self-Defense Forces Yokosuka Hospital abolished the Self-Defense Forces Sasebo Hospital due to the strengthening of its functions, and plans to reduce it to a clinic.

Facilities and operational units

Hirase District

Sasebo District Force is a Core cities of Japan, core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is the second-largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. , the city had an estimated population of 230,873 in 102,670 households, and a populat ...

*Self-Defense Force Sasebo Hospital * Sasebo Communications Command *Sasebo District Police *Sasebo Music Corps * Fleet Escort Force **2nd Escort Flotilla **1st Escort Flotilla **4th Escort Flotilla **13th Escort Flotilla

Sakibe District

*Sasebo Education Corps *Sasebo Guard **3rd Missile Boat Flotilla *Sasebo Ammunition Maintenance Supply Station *Ground Self-Defense Force Sakibe Branch

Tategami District

*Sasebo Repair Supply Station *Sasebo Magnetic Measurement Station

Hidzukushi District

*Sasebo Base Business Corps * Mine Warfare Force **2nd Mine Warfare Force *Sasebo Maritime Training Guidance Team *Sasebo Sanitation Corps * MDSF Sasebo History Museum File:JS Akebono (DD-108), Ariake (DD-109), Kongō (DDG-173) en Akizuki (DD-115) op Tategami Pier in Sasebo, -26 juli 2014 a.jpg, JS Akebono, Ariake, Kongō and Akizuki at Tategami Pier File:DestroyerEscorts231&232&234.JPG, Abukuma-class destroyer escorts at Sasebo

References

External links

Sasebo Naval Base official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sasebo Naval Base Military installations established in 1953 1953 establishments in Japan

Sasebo is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is the second-largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. , the city had an estimated population of 230,873 in 102,670 households, and a population density of 540 per ...