A series of notorious events raise questions about the credibility of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The latest is the death of a petty officer 3rd class following a martial-art-style "training fight" at the MSDF's First Service School in Etajima, Hiroshima Prefecture. The training fight very likely amounted to collective violence against a dropout from a special training course. The MSDF should thoroughly unravel the circumstances surrounding his death.
Last March the 25-year-old petty officer joined the training course for members of the MSDF special task force — established in March 2001, two years after two vessels suspected of being North Korean spy ships entered Japanese waters.
After losing confidence that he would complete the course, the petty officer was to be transferred to a submarine unit, to which he had belonged, on Sept. 11. The training fight was held Sept. 9. He was forced to fight nonstop 15 other members, one after another, each fight lasting 50 seconds. The 15 surrounded him, forcing him to stand and keep fighting. He suffered a strong blow to the chin from the 14th opponent and became unconscious. He died in the hospital of an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage on Sept. 25.