SDF exercise suspended after member shows middle finger to reporters

Immature and regressive

Soldiers! You must kill your enemy with utmost aggression but please do not show the middle finger to reporters because it upsets them.

Yes, protect your fellow citizens by giving them the one finger salute. Sounds like a lack of discipline to me, sexual assault, sexual harassment, immature behavior, security leaks, all the more visible in a country as small as Japan. Expensive war toys isn't going to protect Japan, it's the men and women in the military, maybe Kishida should think about this.

It just a finger gesture no one get injured at all.

The quality of recruitment to the JSDF seems an issue. These men and women can and do walk out when they get a better job offer - and it seems the replacement recruits are not exactly all top notch.

While not a heinous offence, a military does not need members with the mental age of some JHS students.

While the action was very childish and short sighted, the idea of cancelling the entire event also seems extreme. Pull the idiot aside, discipline him and continue on. All you have done is make more of a issue out of it.

I think we've unearthed a chink in Japan's armor

This isn't a reflection of the Japanese armed services, a recruiting problem, or ineffective leadership. It's just a young, immature soldier doing something wrong, which young immature anybody would do. Discipline him, explain decorum to him, and move on.

I think that the use of the middle finger is very rare in Japan. Maybe he has seen it on an American movie, but doesn’t understand the meaning.

The quality of recruitment to the JSDF seems an issue

It has been reported that the number of recruits is dropping quickly, it seems that is making the JSDF just accept anyone out of desperation.

MarkXToday  07:33 am JST

While the action was very childish and short sighted, the idea of cancelling the entire event also seems extreme. Pull the idiot aside, discipline him and continue on. All you have done is make more of a issue out of it.

10( +12 / -2 )

Agree! People make too big of a fuss over the wrong things nowadays.

People make too big of a fuss over the wrong things nowadays.

you can barely see the guy's finger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBXNsp7ExLo

While not a heinous offence, a military does not need members with the mental age of some JHS students.

Adults use the the same gesture all the time.

Freedom of Speech

Nice.

SDF exercise suspended after member shows middle finger to reporters

And on the Gaza strip......?

It seems to me JSDF is recruiting all kinds of young people as private who have junior/senior high school degree only. Some have no degree. Young SDF members easily can have money to live if they join in the SDF soon.

Don't blame him a bit. Probably felt annoyed at the constant publicity now. The story there is over so go look for a real story.

I didn't know the middle finger was an offensive gesture in Japan.

Not at all in Japan. No culture or nothing about it. Maybe it from American movies.

I also did not know showing the middle finger meant anything in Japan. Moreover suspending a whole day of work for a finger gesture that causes no physical harm to anyone is excessive in my view. Some word reprimand would have sufficed.

"18-year-old recruit fatally shot two instructors and injured another"

Maybe he didn't like the instructors.

And, yes, middle finger is immature and anti-cultural for japanese people.

"18-year-old recruit fatally shot two instructors and injured another"

Maybe he didn't like the instructors.

According to previous reports, he had a grudge towards one instructor, and the other victims were collateral damage.

showed a middle finger and flashed a peace sign

So, he is trying to say he is against war?

belonged to the same regiment based in Nagoya

Not sure what is going on there? Maybe some follow up reporting?

Most Japanese wouldn't know the meaning.

My dog, can you ever imagine if samurai warriors ever did this to their foes. I must admit though, seeing a huge line of them on horseback all raising their fingers would be very funny.

Not becoming of a JGSDF member, Although in most cases reporters deserve it.

Actually, the middle finger gesture is quite common in Japan.

As for America, use of the gesture is declining.

GlobalObserverToday  09:37 am JST

Freedom of Speech

There is no freedom of speech in the military.

The peace sign should have evened things out,

why suspend the exercise I wonder..... disrupt everyone and everything rather than just hoick him out of the vehicle and into clink?

virusrexToday  08:41 am JS

It has been reported that the number of recruits is dropping quickly, it seems that is making the JSDF just accept anyone out of desperation.

I’m asking in all seriousness, have the standards dropped? I’m not asking if the quality of recruits had dropped but if the standards by which one is allowed to become a soldier have changed/been lowered.

Blimey, in a real situation there are going to be much more disturbing things than a finger flick! Everybody is so easily offended these days!

In my days in the public eye, I had many opportunities to give reporters the finger. They often deserved it. And from what I've seen of Japanese reporters, at least in TV coverage, they often deserve it, too. Nonetheless the young soldier should be reprimanded. But so should the idiots that called off the exercise because of a harmless and mindless gesture.

Although I understand his sentiment toward the media earning ratings over a tragedy, he should have shown more decorum and discipline.

The reaction however, was completely overblown and absurd.

Just taking the individual aside and giving him a stern warning from the Master Sergeant would be sufficient.

One finger and they indefinitely suspend the entire training, what would they do for the two finger gesture they will undoubtedly learn now they periodically carry out joint training exercises with British squaddies?

While no one was hurt (except the feelings of some reporter who will no doubt need counselling after the horrific event) it was an act of indiscipline which can not be tolerated in any military, though the reaction was disproportionate. Haul him off and firmly punish the individual so the rest are well aware of the consequences but don’t stop the training, that just encourages the unruly elements.

The Brits use two fingers.

I guess he got fingered out!!

The North Koreans forced the crew of USS Pueblo to stand for a propaganda photo. The crew members flipped the bird during the photo. They told the North Koreans it was the "Hawaiian good luck sign".