General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

is a Japanese retired general who served as the

Chief of Staff, Joint Staff The , formerly known as the Chairman of the Joint Staff Council from 1954 to 2006, is the highest-ranking military officer and head of the overall Operational Authority (through Joint Staff Office) over the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and ...

of the

Japan Self-Defense Forces The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...

from April 2019 to March 2023. He previously served as the Chief of the Ground Staff at the

JGSDF The , , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service branches. New military guidelines, announced in December 2010, direct t ...

from August 2017 to March 2019. US Air Force photo 160217-F-CB366-075

Career

Yamazaki graduated from the 27th semester of the Civil Engineering Department of the

National Defense Academy of Japan , abbreviated is the national, four-year university-level service academy aimed to educate and train students who will be serving as officers in the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It is located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. History ...

in March 1983, and started his career as a military engineer, and later held various key positions in the engineering field and staff positions. He also served as the Director of the Logistics Management Division, as commander of the 8th Facility Battalion while subsequently serving as the Facility Manager of the

8th Division (Japan) The is one of nine active divisions of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The division is subordinated to the Western Army and is headquartered in Kumamoto. Its responsibility is the defense of the Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefecture ...

headquarters and as the Sendai garrison commander under the North Eastern Army in March 2001. Yamazaki was also the commanding General of the 4th Engineer Brigade, based in Camp Okubo in

Uji is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Founded on March 1, 1951, Uji is between the two ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. The city sits on the Uji River, which has its source in Lake Biwa ...

Kyoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture ...

in 2008. In August 2002, he served at the Affairs Section of the Ground Staff Office, Human Resources Department; and was named as the chief executive of the 1st Personnel Division of the Personnel Division at the Ground Staff Office. Yamazaki also attended various courses in the country and abroad, as he completed the Ranger Course of the

, where he is a qualified member of the Special Forces Group and was awarded the JGSDF Ranger Badge. He also completed the CO-OP program, a joint collaboration project of the JGSDF and the United States Army, Japan in 1995, where he was among the first students to complete the course. Then-Colonel Yamazaki also studied at the

National War College In the United States, the National War College (NWC) is a school within the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, where he graduated in April 2005. He served as a researcher at the Ground Self-Defense Force Research Division in August 2006, before being named as the Ground Planning Officer in the Equipment Planning Department 4 months later, in December 2006. He was named as the commander of Facility No. 4 and thereafter served as commander of the Okubo Garrison in Camp Okubo in August 2008, and was named as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Western Army in June 2010. He became the Director General, Personnel Department of the Ground Staff Office in July 2012. Yamazaki was named as the commander of the 9th Division in August 2014 before becoming the Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff in March 2015; and became commander of the Northern Army, based at

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

in July 2016. In August 2017, he was appointed 35th Chief of the Ground Staff of the

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The , , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service branches. New military guidelines, announced in December 2010, direct ...

, the highest position in the JGSDF after the resignation of General Toshiya Okabe and former Defense Minister

Tomomi Inada is a Japanese lawyer and politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the 1st Fukui Prefecture since September 2005. She previously served as Minister of Defense from August 2016 to July 2017, resigning in respons ...

amidst claims over a cover up scandal within the

Ministry of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

, exposing the danger Japanese peacekeepers were facing in

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

. As the Chief of the Ground Staff, he strengthened Japan's strategic partnerships and mutual defense policies in the Asia-Pacific Region, such as strengthening cooperation to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, where he met with then-

Commanding General of the Philippine Army The Commanding General of the Philippine Army (CGPA) is the overall commander and highest ranking officer commissioned to serve in the Philippine Army. The position concurrently holds the three-star rank of Lieutenant General. The commanding ...

Lieutenant General Macairog Alberto, and the

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer (except for the President of the Philippines, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief equivalent to a five-star general) and the he ...

General Benjamin Madrigal Jr.; and the United States, where he met numerous US military generals and continued to enhance the US-Japan military relations. In April 2019, Yamazaki was appointed by then-Prime Minister

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

as the

, the JSDF's highest position. As the Chief of the Joint Staff, he continued his approach on nourishing Japan's role in the Asia-Pacific and abroad, such as the United States, where he met with

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

General Mark A. Milley; in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, where he met Lieutenant General

Aviv Kochavi Aviv Kohavi (; born 23 April 1964) is an Israeli former general who served as the 22nd Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from January 15, 2019 to January 16, 2023. Before becoming Lieutenant General ( Rav-Aluf), he was commander ...

; in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, where he met two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Park Han-ki and General

Won In-choul Won In-choul (; born 1 January 1961), is a former South Korean Air Force General who served as its Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) from 2020 to 2022 under President Moon Jae-in. Before promoted to the Air Force Chief of Staff in April ...

,; in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, where he met with General

Bipin Rawat Bipin Rawat (16 March 1958 – 8 December 2021) was an Indian military officer who was a Four-star rank, four-star General (India), general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (India), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS ...

, and other countries such as

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, where he met with the Commander of the Brazilian Army

Army General Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

Edson Leal Pujol. General Yamazaki also vowed to strengthen Japan's military capabilities and ensuring that Japan can defend its sovereignty in the East China Sea, particularly in the

Senkaku Islands The Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan, are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They were historically known in the Western world as the Pinnacle ...

, as the country faces

territorial disputes A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of territories (land, water or airspace) between two or more political entities. Context and definitions Territorial disputes are often related to the ...

and incursions from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

China Coast Guard The China Coast Guard (CCG) () is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police (PAP) of China. The Coast Guard is an armed gendarmerie force (of corps grade), and its cutters are ...

, the

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

, and the

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

. Yamazaki also vowed to strengthen Japan's presence in the

East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...

and in the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

, and maintain the status quo in securing the

Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a strait separating the island of Taiwan and the Asian continent. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. Names Former names of the Tai ...

, as

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and China continues to escalate its tensions amidst a possible invasion of Taiwan by the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

. On May 19, 2022, General Yamazaki was the first high ranked JSDF officer to attend a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

Military Chiefs of Defense meeting in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, and expanded mutual cooperation efforts between the JSDF and NATO within the global scene. This was also expanded during Yamazaki's meeting with the NATO

Chair of the NATO Military Committee The Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC) is the head of the NATO Military Committee, which advises the North Atlantic Council (NAC) on military policy and strategy. The CMC is the senior military spokesperson of the 32-nation alliance and p ...

Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, where the two leaders collaborated in enhancing Japan's partnership with the NATO alliance. Yamazaki was initially set to retire on 16 January 2022, as he reached his mandatory military retirement age as Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, of 62 years old. Yamazaki's term as Chief of Staff, Joint Staff was extended for 6 months under an ordinance signed by the

, and is set to last until 15 July 2023. However, his extensions was cut short and he retired from the service on 30 March 2023, where he was replaced by General

Yoshihide Yoshida General officer, General (30 October 1962) is a Japanese military general who serves as the incumbent Chief of Staff, Joint Staff since March 2023. General Yoshida previously served as Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Chief of the Ground Staff, ...

. On 12 July 2023, Yamazaki was appointed to serve as an advisor to the

, where he replaced Kazuhisa Shimada.

Biography

*March 1983: Graduated from the

(27th term) and joined the

*July 1997 (Heisei 9): Promoted to lieutenant colonel *March 2001: Commander of the 8th Facility Battalion and Facility Manager of the

headquarters and Sendai garrison commander *January 2002 (Heisei 14): promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

**August: Affairs Section, Ground Staff Office, Human Resources Department *August 2003: Leader, 1st Personnel Division, Personnel Division, Ground Staff Staff *April 2005: With Central Archives (studied in the

) *August 2006: Ground Self-Defense Force Research Division researcher **December: Ground Planning Officer, Equipment Planning *August 1, 2008: Promoted to deputy major general, Commander of Facility No. 4 and Commander of Okubo Garrison *June 8, 2010: Deputy Chief of Staff for the

Western Army (Japan) The is one of five active Armies of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is headquartered in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture. Its responsibility is the defense of Kyūshū and Okinawa. Organization * Western Army, in Kumamoto ** 4th D ...

*July 26, 2012: Director of Human Resources, Ground Staff *August 5, 2014: Promotion to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

, 9th Division (Japan) Commander *March 30, 2015: Joint Staff Staff Deputy Director *July 1, 2016: Appointed the 36th General Director of the Northern District *August 8, 2017: Appointed 35th Chief of Ground Staff *April 1, 2019: Became the 6th

.防衛省発令（将人事）2019年4月1日
2019年3月19日閲覧 *January 16, 2023: Term as Chief of Staff, Joint Staff extended for 6 months. *March 30, 2023: Retired from military service. * July 12, 2023: Advisor to the

Dates of promotion

Awards

* 2

Legion of Merit (Commander), awarded in 2018 and 2023. * Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: Singapore *Pingat Jasa Gemilang, or Meritorious Services Me ...

Officer,

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

* Honorary Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

* JGSDF Ranger Badge * Order of Saint Maurice (Peregrinus)