National Defense Academy of Japan

National Defense Academy of Japan
Type	four-year university-level military academy
Established	1953
Students	future Officers in three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
Undergraduates	yes, via Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology\|MEXT's National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation,
Postgraduates	yes, see above
Doctoral students	yes, see above
Location	Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Affiliations	Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology\|MEXT
Website	National Defense Academy of Japan Webpage

National Defense Academy of Japan (防衛大学校, Bōei Daigakkō), abbreviated NDA (防大, Bōdai) is a four-year university-level military academy aimed to educate and train students who will be officers in three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It is located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa.

History

It was opened in 1953, and matriculated its first female student in 1992.

Selection

Its main course students are selected from applicants and typically are recent graduates from Japanese civilian senior high schools who have completed twelve years of formal schooling. They are paid a salary as employees of the Ministry of Defense.

After graduation they are posted to the Officer Candidate Schools in one of three forces, take training alongside civilian university graduates and internal promotees before being posted as officers. Every year several graduates refuse to be posted and quit, but these individuals need not refund their salary. There is some criticism about this generosity among the general public.

Postgraduate

It also runs master's and doctoral level courses for students who are endorsed by their supervisors at the posted forces.

Affiliation

The National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, an affiliate of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has recognised the courses and awards the graduates degrees on request. As the Academy is not an MEXT-recognised university it cannot offer its own degrees.

List of Presidents

Tomoō Maki (1952.8.19 - 1965.1.16)
Hiroshi Omori (1965.1.16 - 1970.7.1)
Masamichi Inoki (1970.7.16 - 1978.7.15)
Kuniyasu Tsuchida (1978.9.29 - 1987.3.24)
Haruo Natsume (1987.3.24 - 1993.9.30)
Saburō Matsumoto (1993.10.1 - 2000.3.31)
Masashi Nishihara (2000.4.1 - 2006.3.31)
Makoto Iokibe (2006.8.1 - persent)

Notable alumni

Yoshifumi Hibako, chief of staff, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Yuji Fujinawa, chief of staff, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Toshio Tamogami, chief of staff, Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Satoshi Morimoto, scholar
Gen Nakatani, Minister of State for Defense in the first cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi.
Yoshihiro Murai, governor of Miyagi Prefecture
Masahisa Sato, member of the House of Councillors
Takashi Uto, member of the House of Councillors
Kimiya Yui, astronaut

Notable faculty

Condoleezza Rice had a three-week visiting professorship at the NDAJ in 1984, where she "had a hard time adjusting to the rigid hierarchy," according to her 2010 memoirs, Extraordinary, Ordinary People.