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▼ Japan Coast Guard Staffing Shortage Worsens After Almost 400 Quit Due To Personal Reasons
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According to the JCG, the number of JCG personnel who quit for personal reasons has topped 300 for four consecutive years since fiscal 2021, a situation that could hinder enactment of the government’s policy on improving the nation’s maritime security.
Almost 400 Japan Coast Guard personnel left the organization for personal reasons during fiscal 2024, resulting in a drop in the JCG’s total staff size, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned, sparking concerns about the nation’s ability to deal with security threats at sea.
Last fiscal year, voluntary resignations at the JCG totaled 389. That caused the JCG staff size to drop from the previous fiscal year for the first time since fiscal 2013.
The government managed to expand the JCG by about 100 to 400 personnel annually after fiscal 2013, in response to Chinese government vessels nearing or intruding into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture at a far faster rate.
In its policy on improving the nation’s maritime security, the government has identified six key areas to focus on, including safeguarding territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.
According to the JCG, the number of JCG personnel who quit for personal reasons has topped 300 for four consecutive years since fiscal 2021, a situation that could hinder enactment of the government’s policy.
According to the JCG, 243 of the 389 personnel who voluntarily resigned in fiscal 2024 were in their 20s, and 93 were in their 30s. These two age brackets accounted for 86% of resignations. The JCG had 14,123 personnel as of the end of March — six fewer than in the year prior.
The JCG believes that rapid changes in working norms are one reason why more personnel are stepping away from the organization. An increasing number of Japanese households have two working spouses, and there is a growing reluctance to accept relocations as a part of one’s job.
A majority of JCG personnel are transferred every two or three years, and many work in locations far from their family. Crews on large ships can be at sea for 10 days or more at a time. Staff cannot access the internet during this period and are unable to stay in contact with their family as much as they could like.
By law, the JCG was allowed a maximum staff of 14,788 in fiscal 2024, a rise of almost 20% from fiscal 2009. The government has upped the cap on the JCG workforce by an average of 170 people each fiscal year since 2013, when China Coast Guard vessels were found to have entered the contiguous zone in waters around the Senkaku Islands on more than 200 days.
During this period, the JCG added 24 large patrol vessels to its fleet, bringing the total for its larger ships to 78. By fiscal 2029, it should have 91 of these ships, with the new additions to include a massive multipurpose patrol vessel.
The actual JCG staff size has steadily diverged from its maximum allowed size, with the gap being vacant positions. The shortage stood at 259 personnel at the end of fiscal 2013, but had soared to 665 at the end of fiscal 2024.
This was the first time the figure topped 600. The JCG had a particularly severe shortage of crew members for its large patrol vessels, with 355 open spaces and a personnel vacancy rate of 12%, as of January.
In addition to ensuring security in Japan’s territorial waters, the JCG’s wide range of duties includes rescue missions and criminal investigations at sea, ensuring safety of navigation and conducting ocean research.
If the personnel shortfall continues to worsen, it could become harder to operate the JCG’s vessels and to operate them safely.
“We’re taking this situation seriously,” Daisuke Furukawa, head of the JCG’s human resources division, told The Yomiuri Shimbun. “We will deal with these challenges by doing everything we can and by not being bound by precedent, focusing foremost on rehiring personnel.”
Almost 400 Japan Coast Guard personnel left the organization for personal reasons during fiscal 2024, resulting in a drop in the JCG’s total staff size, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned, sparking concerns about the nation’s ability to deal with security threats at sea.
Last fiscal year, voluntary resignations at the JCG totaled 389. That caused the JCG staff size to drop from the previous fiscal year for the first time since fiscal 2013.
The government managed to expand the JCG by about 100 to 400 personnel annually after fiscal 2013, in response to Chinese government vessels nearing or intruding into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture at a far faster rate.
In its policy on improving the nation’s maritime security, the government has identified six key areas to focus on, including safeguarding territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.
According to the JCG, the number of JCG personnel who quit for personal reasons has topped 300 for four consecutive years since fiscal 2021, a situation that could hinder enactment of the government’s policy.
According to the JCG, 243 of the 389 personnel who voluntarily resigned in fiscal 2024 were in their 20s, and 93 were in their 30s. These two age brackets accounted for 86% of resignations. The JCG had 14,123 personnel as of the end of March — six fewer than in the year prior.
The JCG believes that rapid changes in working norms are one reason why more personnel are stepping away from the organization. An increasing number of Japanese households have two working spouses, and there is a growing reluctance to accept relocations as a part of one’s job.
A majority of JCG personnel are transferred every two or three years, and many work in locations far from their family. Crews on large ships can be at sea for 10 days or more at a time. Staff cannot access the internet during this period and are unable to stay in contact with their family as much as they could like.
By law, the JCG was allowed a maximum staff of 14,788 in fiscal 2024, a rise of almost 20% from fiscal 2009. The government has upped the cap on the JCG workforce by an average of 170 people each fiscal year since 2013, when China Coast Guard vessels were found to have entered the contiguous zone in waters around the Senkaku Islands on more than 200 days.
During this period, the JCG added 24 large patrol vessels to its fleet, bringing the total for its larger ships to 78. By fiscal 2029, it should have 91 of these ships, with the new additions to include a massive multipurpose patrol vessel.
The actual JCG staff size has steadily diverged from its maximum allowed size, with the gap being vacant positions. The shortage stood at 259 personnel at the end of fiscal 2013, but had soared to 665 at the end of fiscal 2024.
This was the first time the figure topped 600. The JCG had a particularly severe shortage of crew members for its large patrol vessels, with 355 open spaces and a personnel vacancy rate of 12%, as of January.
In addition to ensuring security in Japan’s territorial waters, the JCG’s wide range of duties includes rescue missions and criminal investigations at sea, ensuring safety of navigation and conducting ocean research.
If the personnel shortfall continues to worsen, it could become harder to operate the JCG’s vessels and to operate them safely.
“We’re taking this situation seriously,” Daisuke Furukawa, head of the JCG’s human resources division, told The Yomiuri Shimbun. “We will deal with these challenges by doing everything we can and by not being bound by precedent, focusing foremost on rehiring personnel.”
- 7/5 20:17
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