Japanese Navy decided on Tuesday, assigning command warships to a woman group, at a time when it is trying to attract more women to its ranks with the decline in the number of military men in the country, facing an increase in the numbers of elderly. 

The "woman" Ryoko Azuma is to lead 4 ships, including the helicopter carrier Izumu, and will then lead a 1,000-strong crew of only 30 women, the first guard squad.



"I do not think of being a woman," Azuma, 44, said at the change of leadership ceremony. "I will concentrate my energy on my duties as a leader." 

The ceremony was attended by 400 naval personnel aboard the carrier "Izumu", anchored in a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo , for maintenance work. 

When Azuma joined the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces in 1996, women were prohibited from working on warships, but the navy had abolished the base 10 years ago, while submarines were still limited to men. 

As in the case of the economy, the Japanese military is moving towards women to make up for its shortfall, with the labor force shrinking amid declining births. 

Self - Defense Forces are targeted to Japan Increase the number of women in the air, sea and land forces from 6%, or 14,000 now, to 9% by 2030.