The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces

Yonay Matsumasa was a forceful advocate for accepting American terms of surrender in 1945. He never served in the new Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces, he would die of complications caused by tuberculosis before they were even formed. One of his last acts as Navy Minister had been to approve a list of officers he felt would be a good fit for any future government agency devoted to maritime affairs. That list of officers was in turn used to build the nucleus of the Maritime Safety Agency and from there became the early officer corps of the SDF.