The is one of nine active divisions of the

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service ...

. The division is subordinated to the Northern Army and is headquartered at Camp Asahikawa in

Asahikawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city is ...

, Hokkaidō. Its responsibility is the defense of North Western Hokkaidō. The division was raised on 18 January 1962.

Organization

* 2nd Division, at Camp Asahikawa in

** 2nd Division HQ, at Camp Asahikawa ** 3rd Infantry Regiment^{''note 1''} (Mechanized), at Camp Nayoro in

Nayoro is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 28,373 and a population density of 53 persons per km2 (140 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is . On March 27, 2006, the town of Fūren was mer ...

, with Type 96

Armored Personnel Carriers An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

** 25th Infantry Regiment, at Camp Engaru in Engaru ** 26th Infantry Regiment, at Camp Rumoi in

Rumoi is a city located in Rumoi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Rumoi Subprefecture. As of September 2016, the city has an estimated population of 22,242 and the density of 75 persons per km2. The total area is 297.44 km2. ...

** 2nd Tank Regiment, at Camp Kamifurano in Kamifurano, with four squadrons employing a mix of Type 90 and Type 74 tanks and one Type 10

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension s ...

squadron ** 2nd Artillery Regiment (Mechanized), at Camp Asahikawa *** 1st Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm

Self-propelled Howitzers Self-propelled may refer to * Human-powered transport, humans moving themselves (and their cargo) via their own muscle energy * Machines that power their own movement: ** Automobile (from ''auto-'' + ''mobile'', "self-moving") ** Locomotive (fr ...

*** 2nd Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled Howitzers *** 3rd Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled Howitzers *** 4th Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled Howitzers *** 5th Artillery Battalion, with three batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled Howitzers ** 2nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, at Camp Asahikawa, with three batteries employing a mix of Type 81 and Type 93

Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

Systems ** 2nd Aviation Squadron, at Camp Asahikawa, flying UH-1J and OH-6D Helicopters ** 2nd Engineer Battalion (Combat), at Camp Asahikawa ** 2nd Logistic Support Regiment, at Camp Asahikawa *** 1st Maintenance Battalion *** 2nd Maintenance Battalion *** Supply Company *** Medical Company *** Transport Company ** 2nd Signal Battalion, at Camp Asahikawa ** 2nd Reconnaissance Company, at Camp Nayoro, with Type 87 Armored Reconnaissance Vehicles ** 2nd Anti-Tank Company, at Camp Kamifurano in Kamifurano ** 2nd NBC-defense Company, at Camp Asahikawa ** 2nd Band, at Camp Asahikawa ''note 1'': Infantry Regiments are roughly battalion strength, derived from the

Pentomic Pentomic (cf. ''Greek language, Greek pent(e)-'' +''-tome'' "of five parts") was a structure for infantry and Airborne forces, airborne Division (military), divisions adopted by the United States Army, US Army between 1957 and 1963, in response t ...

structure that reorganized regiments from consisting of battalions to consisting of companies. Battalions in Japanese practice generally refer to smaller units composed of fewer companies or batteries, such as a 2-company divisional tank battalion as opposed to a 5-company tank regiment.

References

External links

Homepage 2nd Division
''(Japanese)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Division (Japan) Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Division Military units and formations established in 1962