Japanese media reported on January 4th (Saturday) that the Japanese Ministry of Defense plans to relocate 14 Self-Defense Force command centers underground by the end of the fiscal year 2025 to better protect these critical facilities and prepare for potential conflicts or other emergencies that may arise in Taiwan.
According to the budget proposal for the fiscal year 2025 by the Ministry of Defense, 72.6 billion yen (approximately 4.6 billion U.S. dollars) will be allocated for this undertaking. In addition to the 11 command centers that have already begun their relocation in the fiscal year 2024, the Air Self-Defense Force bases in Hokkaido and Shizuoka Prefecture, as well as a regional headquarters of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, will also be included in the relocation plan.
Currently, some major Self-Defense Force facilities are already located underground, such as the Central Command Post of the Ministry of Defense in the Ichigaya area of Tokyo and the Maritime Self-Defense Force Operations Center in Yokosuka.
The report by Nikkei Asia highlighted the inclusion of base facilities in Okinawa in this relocation plan. Due to its proximity to Taiwan, Okinawa could potentially become Japan’s front line in defense if Beijing were to take military actions to unify Taiwan.
For instance, the Air Self-Defense Force Southwest Region Command Center currently situated at Naha Base in Okinawa is responsible for air defense in that region.
Part of the facilities at the Self-Defense Force hospital in Naha Base will also be relocated underground, as part of a larger-scale reconstruction plan. The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Force plan to develop this hospital as a core regional medical center and casualty treatment point, expecting it to become a crucial logistical support base.
Compared to above-ground facilities, underground command centers are less vulnerable to attacks, as seen in the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022.