The Japanese government has announced plans to increase the basic wage for all members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, reflecting an attempt to motivate career appeal and socioeconomic value to the troop positions. Addressing the pay gap allows the government to secure a more sustainable future for the nation's prime internal and external security force. The exact timeline and percentage of the wage increase are not disclosed yet.

In Japan, the compensation structure of the Self-Defence Forces is often a subject of controversy, largely due to the high-stress, high-risk nature of the work involved. Combined with a low unemployment rate in Japan, the government has found it increasingly difficult to recruit individuals into the forces, necessitating the proposed wage increases. The pay rise could help incentivize national defense as a career choice and maintain Japan's security levels.

In the US, military personnel's wages are evaluated and updated annually to ensure competitive compensation. Regular pay raises have aimed to retain skilled military professionals, creating a stark contrast between the long-standing unchanged compensation for Japan's Self-Defense Force personnel and the dynamically changing pay structure in the US military.