AKB48 singer recruits for SDF as Abe boosts military

airi suzuki from c-ute would have been another great idol for the ad

Waiting for Jaxa to show me how to hand out samples of pr1vate porn.

so, their 'new' army is going to be filled with awkward, middle-aged men and tween girls?

Nasty bit of propaganda that! For shame!

I joined the military to get an AKB48, but all I got was this lousey AK47.

Too bad the older generation leaders, who are out of touch with reality/ashamed of their role in history, didn't want the youth to learn about what war did to Japan,and why. Maybe Haruka Shimazaki needs a lesson about the destruction of Japan during WWII, culminating in the winbombs destroying two cities.There is nothing cute about war.

Just wait until they start returning in body bags again, but knowing the japanese they maybe will be blaming someone else for it.

Disgusting. No unexpected though.

Nice get the gormless Japanese AKB48 nerds enlisted then send them off to battle, thus improving Japan's gene pool. marvellous idea. I am all for it.

Next they can use a bozuoku biker to recruit and before you know it we'll be living in a perfect place no nerds and no noisey bozo's.

For cute entertainers, posing on posters are just one of side jobs to earn more money. Must have gotten pretty good pay. It is better than posing to that new toilet ad. Not as much as auto ad but JSDF has pretty good budget.

Too bad the older generation leaders, who are out of touch with reality/ashamed of their role in history, didn't want the youth to learn about what war did to Japan,and why. Maybe Haruka Shimazaki needs a lesson about the destruction of Japan during WWII, culminating in the winbombs destroying two cities.There is nothing cute about war.

High school seniors are sent recruitment cards from the SDF. It may be based on high school records. Not sure if it is across the board. I have seen more posters up at certain train stations recently. Not all. I remember getting a call to join the army as a senior in high school in my home country.

There is nothing wrong with joining the military but a person should make that choice after fully understanding the pros and cons of doing so. IMO these type of posters aimed at impressionable high school kids is not exactly being up front about what being in the military means. Although the JSDF has not lost anyone in combat since their founding, with the direction the country is going in that is about to change. Also there have been quite a few deaths due to training exercises, emergency relief operations etc. People should be made aware of the dangers as well as the benefits of military service.

We have two clowns here called JEDWOOD oh boy are they rubbish! I would like to volunteer them for active duty on the front line if any body attacks Japan. I would not even give them any body armour or a gun because you could not trust them with one. they are ambassadors to stupidity!!

All 296 AKB48 members and their sister organizations could be the very first new recruits to ship out!! Get your fatigues on, Shimazaki, and go show 'em what ya got!! Be the true role model. you'll come home singing a different tune in a year!

@FizzBit... The Japanese version of History, Discovery, even sometimes NatGeo channel all have increased their military- and weapons-related, with lots on the jieitai, as well as more macho-type shows over the past 2-3 years. And lots of Hitler stuff, too. Abe and company have been working on this a while, though since Abe's recent dictatorial move, these shows have been really ramped up.

People are slowly & unknowingly being pushed into accepting a militarized mindset as "normal". Just like in the US, it's all no doubt to help make it easier to draft young men (and maybe women) later for cannon fodder.

So that's who Japan wants for their military? People who are going to be persuaded to make a major life career choice by a pervy idol group?

There are jobs only can be performed here, (Koko de shika dekinai shigoto ga arimasu) If this is a campaign to get people apply for SDF, the ad should release what kind of occupation. Is SDF looking for male or female? Labor shortage in Japan so I guess both males and females. How about a cute boy on another ad so that SDF may get female applicants.

Unfortunately,Ms Shimazaki has never spoken to her grandparents about the abject poverty and misery of the last war the Japanese nation took part in! She needs a trip to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to put her right,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

8 hours straight yesterday, and 9 hours straight today from 11 to 8 of SDF documentaries/commercials on the History japan channel.

I've been watching the History channel here for 9 years, and this has never happened before. It's obviously a propaganda campaign. Well thought out and executed.

join the SDF, travel the world, meet interesting people, and kill them! with a cute smile of course.

Only an oxyMORON equates bolstering one's military, easing weapons sales restrictions, and joining the military as being 'for peace' and emphasized with heart marks and what not. I notice they're bringing back the 'cherry petal' that they used in previous wars to symbolize the fleeting life of a soldier, though.

And you think joining the military is a bad thing?

"“This is work that you can only do here,” she says with a smile. A pink heart-shaped cherry petal spins as she points to the English phrase “You AND PEACE.”"

Only an oxyMORON equates bolstering one's military, easing weapons sales restrictions, and joining the military as being 'for peace' and emphasized with heart marks and what not. I notice they're bringing back the 'cherry petal' that they used in previous wars to symbolize the fleeting life of a soldier, though.

What an air headed piece of propaganda.

If this cute ad is successful it will take more people out of the labor force, which will increase the so called labor shortage. It be case of capitalists competing for workers. And just think if the cream of Japan's youth is killed in war.

Join the SDF and give the world PEACE and FREEDOM just like the USA has.

In Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Libya and so on!

Of course we gave them the freedom and the means, but that doesn't mean we have to put it in their hands. Bertie, you just never know what you are talking about. The South Vietnamese, just like the Iraqi police didn't fight back, they put down their weapons and gave up. What else do you want. You have to earn it, like we did fighting the British. But Japan seems to be doing good, as is South Korea and Germany and the UK, most of Western Europe, you're not speaking Russian, so I think we did a great job.

You are very welcome.

You know, I usually am the biggest apologist for AKB on Japan Today. Honestly, I have got into so many heated battles for them, as I absolutely adore AKB and what they've done for Japan. But this feels really off to me. I love Paruru and I think she's great in AKB, even with her salty behavior lol, but wow... I didn't expect this from the AKB world. And why Paruru? She's the last person you would want to send for something like this if you WERE AKB (Maybe Jurina, or heck, get Yuko chan since she's got a bit more of an open schedule these days). So... not sure how to feel about this one. AKB should probably stay out of politics and government. They need to just help people in Japan and the rest of the world escape and smile. That's what they do best. There's nothing to smile about when it comes to guns and violence and military prowess (though not saying it isn't necessary either for Japan).

mixing govt with entertainment smacks of propaganda ugh

She's cute alright, but "296 members of AKB48 and its sister groups"? Does anyone else see a problem here?

I really don't understand what's so good about AKB but how about playing their music loud on Coast Guard ships off Senkaku, I heard many Chinese young people like them too. Peace and Freedom alright.

BTW, sorry Brazil, congrats Netherlands.

labor shortage (!)

Join the SDF and give the world PEACE and FREEDOM just like the USA has.

In Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Libya and so on!