1970 ● ● ● Defense of Japan published for the first time The impetus for its publication was the belief of NAKASONE Yasuhiro, Director General of what was then the Defense Agency, that “more than anything else, it is the understanding, active support, and cooperation of the people that is essential to the defense of the nation.” 94 pages long The 1977 edition contained no photographs, only illustrations (the one below was used in an explanation about the GSDF) Defense Chronology first published 1976 ● ● ● ● ● Published for the second time Provided more enhanced content than the first edition. Total number of pages increased to 174 Took on roughly the same structure it has today Both Japanese and English editions published annually ever since Was published in A5 format until 1999, but the total number of pages grew to 498 in the 1999 edition 50 Defense of Years of the Special Feature 3 Japan 2020 防衛白書 令和2年版 防衛白書 令和 日 本 の 防 衛 年版 2 日 本の防 衛 防衛省 13 DEFENSE OF JAPAN 2020 Published for the first time in 1970, the Defense of Japan white paper has been published annually since 1976. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its first publication. The objective of Defense of Japan is to provide a widespread awareness of the current state of our nation’s defense, as well as related issues and initiatives, thereby gaining the understanding of readers both within Japan and overseas. To achieve this, various approaches have been devised in order to ensure that as many citizens as possible can obtain a copy of Defense of Japan. Efforts will continue to ensure that this publication is comprehensible, readable, and userfriendly, to promote understanding of the Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces. Look! ● ● This year’s edition features columns highlighting the voices of around 50 SDF personnel deployed in various settings both within Japan and overseas (about twice as many voices as last year) There are also QR codes that you can scan to watch related videos immediately! Reiwa