Established 1953 Academic staff 315 full-time Founded 1953 | President Ryosei Kokubun Phone +81 46-841-3810 | |
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Type Four-year university-level military academy Affiliation Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Students Future Officers in three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Address Japan, 〒239-0811 Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokosuka, Hashirimizu, 1 Chome−１０−２０ Notable alumni Gen Nakatani, Toshio Tamogami, Kimiya Yui, Satoshi Morimoto, Yoshihiro Murai Similar National Defense Medical, Yokohama National University, Tokyo University of Science, Kanto Gakuin University, Tokyo Institute of Technology | ||
National Defense Academy of Japan (防衛大学校, Bōei Daigakkō), abbreviated NDA (防大, Bōdai) is the national, four-year university-level military 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 on the grounds close to the former Imperial Japanese Army Academy.
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History
The National Defense Academy of Japan was opened in 1952 as National Safety Academy (保安大学校), and was renamed "National Defense Academy" in 1954, when the incipient Japanese military was renamed from "National Safety Forces" (保安隊)to "Self-Defense Forces" (自衛隊）. In contrast to the prewar period, when the Imperial Navy and Army had separate academies (Imperial Japanese Army Academy and Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, the National Safety Academy (later the National Defense Academy) was established as a unified institution in order to mitigate the effects of sectionalism and inter-service rivalry. The Academy 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, conduct training alongside civilian university graduates and internal promotees before being posted as officers.
Postgraduate
The academy also conducts master's and doctoral level courses for students who are endorsed by their supervisors at their respective serving 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.