Ensign of the Japan Coast Guard
A vessel of the Japan Coast Guard -
Hida powered with four MTU 20V1163TB93 diesel engines
A Eurocopter AS322 Super Puma of the Japanese coast guard flying over
Tokyo BayThe , formerly the
Maritime Safety Agency, is the
Japanese
coast guard. Comprising about 12,000 personnel, it is under the oversight of the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and is responsible for the protection the coast-lines of Japan. It was founded in 1948.
Overview
The duty of the JCG is to ensure security and safety at sea.This provided thru the following services:
- Maritime patrol - patrols Japan's territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of (12-200 nautical miles out from the shore which is approximately 4,470,000 km2.
- * Countermeasures against Smuggling and Illegal Immigration
and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)
- * Security against Maritime Conflict - includes the Special Guard Team
- * Surveillance of Illegal Operations by Foreign Fishing Vessels
- * Countermeasures against Suspicious Vessels and/or Spy Ships
- * Dealing with Unlawful Acts by Foreign Oceanographic Research Vessels
- * Patrolling and Guarding the Waters near the Senkaku Islands, Takeshima, and the Northern Territories
- Hydrographic and oceanographic surveying
- Maritime traffic management
Organization
National Headquarters
Main building of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in
Kasumigaseki, under which the Japan Coast Guard operates, and where it is headquartered
The Japan Coast Guard is led by Commandant Ishikawa Hiroki and 2 Vice Commanders. Lower ranking officers include the director general, directors and inspector generals.
Organization (as of April 1, 2009)
- *Vice Commandant for Operations
- Administration Department
- Coast Guard Research Center
- Equipment and Technology Department
- Guard and Rescue Department
- Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department
- Maritime Traffic Department
- Coast Guard Academy (Kure)
The
Japan Coast Guard Academy is a university established within the Coast Guard for the purpose of training students to become officers. It is located in
Kure,
Hiroshima prefecture.
The JCG maintains two
special forces units:
History
Founded in 1948 as the
Maritime Safety Agency of Japan, its English name was changed to Japan Coast Guard in April 2000. In 1950, the Maritime Safety Agency sent minesweepers to the Korean Peninsula under the United Nations flag during the
Korea War.
On December 22, 2001, JCG ships
intercepted a
Chinese-flagged vessel believed to be North Korean in origin, in the Japanese
Exclusive Economic Zone between Kyushu and China. When the vessel failed to respond, she was fired upon by the JCG and an exchange of gunfire resulted. The unidentified vessel sank in the Chinese EEZ with all hands. The ship, later salvaged by the JCG, was found to be carrying weapons and spy equipment. The wreck and its contents were put on display at the
Japanese Coast Guard Museum at Yokohama.
Operational regions
thumb|A map of the division of jurisdiction between the 11 JCG regionsHeadquartered in Tokyo, the JCG has divided the nation into eleven regions to facilitate its
coast guard operations. Each region maintains a Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, under which
there are various Coast Guard Offices, Coast Guard Stations, Air Stations, Hydrographic
Observatory, and Traffic Advisory Service Centers.
Major equipment
Vessels
The JCG operates 455 watercraft, these include the following:
Patrol Vessels 121
Patrol craft 234
Special guard and rescue craft 63
Hydrographic survey vessels 13
Aids to navigation evaluation vessels 1
Buoy tenders 2
Aids to navigation tenders 18
Training boats 3
Aircraft
The JCG operates 73 aicraft, these include:
See also
