NARASHINO, Chiba Pref. -- The First Airborne Brigade is widely known as Japan's toughest Ground Self-Defense Force unit. But a recent two-day training session for "new recruits" did not appear to be as rigorous as its reputation.
The 25 female trainees in their starched camouflage fatigues were not real recruits -- they were students, teachers, civil servants and office workers.
They were lifted by wire up an 83-meter tower as part of parachute training -- which probably seemed more like an amusement park attraction to them -- and took in the obstacle course at the GSDF camp, climbing a 2-meter-high wall and crawling on the ground.