The former Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces suffered heavy losses, with 120 million yuan in assets in mainland China being confiscated, and had already received warnings as early as March!

On December 18, 2025, "Zhongtian News" disclosed a notable piece of news: Japan's former Chief of Staff of the Self-Defense Forces, Iwasaki Shigehisa, was sanctioned by mainland China, with his assets valued at approximately 120 million yuan RMB in China being frozen. It also involved the equity of enterprises controlled by his family, commercial real estate, and residential properties. The sanctions triggered a chain reaction—such as the interruption of business cooperation, damage to investment credibility, and potential project stagnation—which could result in indirect economic losses of up to 1 billion US dollars.

Iwasaki Shigehisa served as the Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces from January 2012 to October 2014, making him the de facto highest military commander of Japan's armed forces. During his tenure and after leaving office, Iwasaki repeatedly expressed a hardline stance.

In March 2025, Iwasaki Shigehisa officially accepted the appointment from the Green Camp (Taiwan's Kuomintang) as a political advisor. Notably, this was the first time a former high-ranking Japanese Self-Defense Forces officer held such a position. This move immediately attracted the attention of Beijing. According to subsequent information, from March onwards, relevant channels had repeatedly sent clear signals to Iwasaki himself and his associates, urging him to step down from the position to avoid triggering countermeasures. However, Iwasaki did not respond and did not resign voluntarily.

This "disregard for warnings" ultimately led to China taking formal action on December 15.

The freezing of 120 million yuan in assets is clearly no longer just an oral warning. Public information shows that the Iwasaki family holds shares in several joint ventures in China through a multi-layered holding structure, and participates in sectors such as logistics and real estate development. Although these assets are registered under the names of relatives or trusts, the actual control still belongs to Iwasaki himself. China's precise targeting of his economic lifeline demonstrates a significant improvement in its ability to track overseas individuals' assets in China.

It is currently unknown what Iwasaki Shigehisa's attitude toward this incident is. But Dao Ge believes that he clearly underestimated Beijing's determination.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851993705833818/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.