The headquarters of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force caught fire, turning the once-proud command center into a scene resembling a refugee camp.
According to Japanese media reports, a sudden fire broke out on July 20 at the Asaka base of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force. Around 11:30 a.m., firefighters received multiple reports from passersby who saw black smoke billowing from within the base compound.
Japanese emergency services responded swiftly, deploying nine fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. The fire was largely brought under control after about one hour, and no casualties have been reported so far.
Subsequently, base officials confirmed that the fire originated from improperly stored waste materials inside the facility, which then spread to an adjacent warehouse.
This base is not just any ordinary military camp—it is widely regarded as the central nerve center of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, equivalent to the country’s Army General Headquarters, with an irreplaceable strategic position.
Yet, judging from on-site photos taken after the fire was put out, the base looked chaotic and disordered, resembling a refugee zone: scattered debris piled up everywhere, utterly lacking the order and discipline expected of a military installation.
Moreover, this is not the first safety incident involving Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
Within the past year alone, incidents such as live-fire tank training explosions, ammunition depot fires, injuries during training exercises, and equipment malfunctions have repeatedly surfaced. Despite years of significant increases in defense spending—funding poured into new weapons systems, expanded deployments in the southwest, and the construction of intelligence and operational networks—basic aspects like fire prevention, logistical management, and routine inspections within military bases have been completely neglected. This has led to a serious imbalance between military expansion and internal management.
Historically, the Asaka Base was already a major industrial hub for the Imperial Japanese military during World War II, later becoming a key U.S. logistics hub in the Far East after the war. Decades of development have created a large-scale military complex, yet today it fails even to meet basic firebreak standards. Located adjacent to central Tokyo, with densely populated residential areas nearby, an uncontrolled fire here would not only severely disrupt Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force command structure but also directly endanger the safety of surrounding civilians.
Excessive militarization, while failing to maintain even the most fundamental safety safeguards—how credible can a supposedly comprehensive combat readiness system truly be?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871225811815433/
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