Join the Defense Force, and you can develop new strengths, protect your country, and…pass giant bobble heads to mysterious shadow men?
Spend a bit of time in Japan, you’ll likely catch a few glimpses of Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) recruitment posters on train station walls or in shop windows. But the most recent recruitment poster released in Chiba Prefecture doesn’t quite seem to be fulfilling its mission — instead of getting people interested in joining the JSDF, the posters are apparently scaring people away with a rather disconcerting image.
In this photo, posted by @hiromi19610226, we see a uniformed man facing a shadowy figure, handing him a large, round, disembodied head. At the top of the poster, it reads, “Protect our beautiful country ~Connecting our youth’s strength with the future~” and towards the bottom, in bold black lettering, it reads “Recruiting cadets for the Defense Force”.
@hiromi19610226’s reaction to the perplexing poster? “I wonder what they’re trying to say with this passing-of-a-freshly-severed-head design… All I can say is, it’s disturbing,” she writes.
The “freshly-severed head” belongs to Ei-kun, Chiba’s Provincial Cooperation Office’s mascot for the JSDF. In the poster, he has the same determined expression and smile as ever, despite having been obviously decapitated.
@hiromi19610226 isn’t alone either. Here’s what the rest of the internet had to say:
“How could one describe this? lol” “I don’t get it.” “It’s like they’re making us understand the fate of the Defense Force members in the near future. So eerie.” “This is why I’m quitting the DF to become a policeman.” “I get the feeling they really thought about ways they could increase their number of personnel.” “Anpanman! It’s your new face!”
Whatever message they were trying to deliver with this poster, I don’t think it’s getting through!
_Sources: Byoukan Sunday, Twitter/ @Chibapco, @hiromi19610226
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- 4 Japanese beauty fads that Westerners just don’t understand -- Genka Bar, where your drinks never cost more than what they’re worth! -- Nine reasons why Japanese men hesitate to say “I love you”
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45 Comments
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gokai_wo_maneku
The real problem is that young people realize that if they join the SDF now, under Abe, they may actually have to fight and die in a war. Most likely a US caused foreign war. In spite of appearances, perhaps young people are not that stupid.
SenseNotSoCommon
"Mr. Abe, the propaganda was a great success. He was ecstatic dying for the fatherland."
Sensato
The severed head being passed to the shadowy figure sort of makes me think of an ISIS beheading.
Alistair Carnell
Entrust your head to a shadowy government?
papigiulio
"And remember men, always keep your head up!"
Black Sabbath
It beats 'Seaman Ship For Love"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjAXJaFydwM
Aly Rustom
I agree with all of the above.
SenseNotSoCommon
Just noticed the 美しい国を守る (defend the beautiful country) on the image.
Can they please bulldoze the eyesores, and those responsible?
Wc626
Wow. What a sick slogan.
How about a good-looking guy an attractive gal both in full uniform delivering a crisp salutes? The caption would read, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. The US cannot protect / defend us (our mainland) forever."
-or what that be too harsh for ordinary Japanese to swallow?
smithinjapan
So, a couple of guys get kidnapped in the ME and area beheaded after Abe's push to change the Constitution and in his bombast towards ISIS, and the answer is this poster to get people to join up? ANOTHER example of, "We should have thought a little more and checked before printing".
gogogo
WTF! Who was the idiot that came up with this?
Triring
Joining the military means you are signing up to an organization that may go into harm's way to defend the nation . It's the same in any and all nations including Japan. You can't really hide that fact and is the first thing they teach at boot camp.
Wc626
If the Draft is initiated here in Japan, they ought to round-up all those SEALDs students and throw them in "boot camp" for a reality check ehh?
dcog9065
It's actually quite a good poster. It's trying to represent the corruption and systemic abuse of society and the public by government agencies and shadowy private corporations and power brokers. The severed head is to represent the powerlessness of society and how far it has been dismembered already in comparison to the freedoms exercised by the other two. The ironic smile on the face is to further indicate submission and almost complicity, as well as contempt by the other two
Jimizo
"How about a good-looking guy an attractive gal both in full uniform delivering a crisp salutes? The caption would read, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
That JFK quote is utterly moronic. That kind of boneheaded patriotism wouldn't appeal to the majority of Japanese youngsters. Also, given the direction this government is moving in, the chances of being sent to war zones by rightwing thugs and getting limbs blown off or getting killed is becoming more of a possibility.
Parents, cover your kids eyes if you see this monstrosity.
Michael Craig
That poster's unnerving! I liked the last article about the SDF poster with the main characters from the Anime "GATE: And so the SDF Fought"!
Simon Foston
Another SDF poster that didn't make much of a positive impression on me showed a gaggle of 20-something soldiers in dress uniform (tunics, shirts and ties, like police uniforms but green) all mugging the camera and grinning like high school boys on a school trip. None of them looked especially prepared to defend the country.
Spanki
"Our armed force and our country is run by a load of headless idiots, It's yours for the taking"
danalawton1@yahoo.com
I love Japan's model of transferring employees to new divisions every 2 or 3 years. The person that did that poster must have just transferred in from Human Resources.
SenseNotSoCommon
Quoting a Catholic Democrat? Careful, now.
Wc626
Yeah, it was. My bad. Stirred you up some though . . . Its hopeless then. The USAFJ will be here forever then. As long as the checks from Tokyo to DC don't bounce each fiscal year, Japan can expect peace and security no matter how low SDF recruitment gets.
SenseNotSoCommon
Is the big head a winning Amakudari candidate?
TheTiger
Obviously, I don't support militarization, its going to get a lot of well looked after Japanese kids killed.
cevin7
I could make a poster better than this in an hour.lol
GW
Pretty messed up!!
theeastisred
Japan should recruit foreigners to the armed forces and give them citizenship upon discharge. Two birds, meet one stone!
smithinjapan
I put it up on Facebook and people can't stop laughing at it and wondering what the hell Japan is thinking.
Alphaape
I suppose that having a poster with something more masculine or adult would be out of the question vice having an animae character would be much better. People need to be aware that the role of the SDF is to stop people from 'breaking stuff" since in most countries, the military is used to "break stuff" and Japan with their Article 9 to their constitution is not allowed to do that. Only stop people from breaking stuff in Japan. Still a better image, not a mascot would do them much better.
SenseNotSoCommon
Speak for yourself!
The correct term is kill people.
The more Japanese people realise this the better. Young men will be sent by old men to kill and be killed.
It's not Dear Leader's fireman puppets jumping over white picket fences to extinguish fires.
Fouxdefa
SDF has always had the oddest advertising, this one might take the cake!
I wonder why they don't just use real photos of SDF members helping/rescuing during the 3/11 disaster or the big floods in northern Japan last year, etc...that would more realistically portray what SDF folks do...
browny1
With ISIS / Daesh using the act of beheading as a terror symbol and terrorism being the biggest threat to our security, it seems like the poster was created by and accepted by those who have the insight of a frog - none. So comical.
Utterly unbelievable. Utterly !
Alistair Carnell
Would have been more impressive with a Frank Sidebottom head. You know it would, it really would. Thank you.
Thunderbird2
Just to make it clear:
I've seen nothing about the SDF fighting alongside America in the Middle East.
elephant200
Prepare to meet Jihad John in combat or overseas deployment?
kohakuebisu
In winter you see the SDF hanging out in ski resorts for winter training. They have to ski in full kit (minus rifle) and have older ski gear than the worst mom and pop rental shop, but it'll still be way more fun than what many salarymen have to put up with. They do both downhill and cross country skiing, so I think they get to go for longer than the average weekend warrior.
SenseNotSoCommon
@T2:
What evidence have we that we can trust Abe to ensure there's no mission creep?
Oil? Other Japanese economic interests?
When AKB48 diplomacy fails?
Define necessary in a complex, putting-out-the-fire-with-petrol conflict.
Wc626
Are they still making snowmen?
Bill Adams
No, I don't get it either and am bemused and amused in equal measure. But surely this is part of the charm of Japan?
nath
looks like ISIS decapitation
BertieWooster
Debucho,
Right! There is no way the SDF are going to be done by the Trades Description Act.
This is what you're likely to get if you join the SDF!
Wakayama Mama
"Join the SDF and we'll hand you right over to ISIS for decapitation." Brilliant!!!
BertieWooster
There was a wonderful spoof of a recruiting ad that was on some comedy show in England years ago. I forget what the show was. Python?
"It's a great life in the modern army."
"You can learn to drive tanks."
"Fire big guns."
"Go to all kinds of amazing places."
"AND you get ten pounds a week."
"Just THINK how many smarties (M&Ms) you can get with ten pounds!"
arrestpaul
Didn't anyone think to test this poster with the viewing public BEFORE they approved it's distribution? The picture doesn't make any sense.
Thunderbird2
Did you even read the quote I gave? The SDF will not fight in the Middle East according to the new law. You really think young men and women who spend most of their time on PR or humanitarian missions will willingly join if they think they will go off to fight terrorists with no concept of compassion? This isn't the bloody 1940s and Japan isn't in danger. Grief!