Supernatural Strength?
Upon passing the grueling tests that are beyond the imagination of most soldiers, the trainees finally become part of Japan’s most elite unit, only to find themselves among colleagues and senior members who can be described as “supernatural.”
As a famous episode delineating these super humans, it is said that during live-fire practice, one member succeeded in hitting every single target with another colleague standing right next to it.
Of course, the truth of such legend is unclear, but it does capture the extraordinary nature of the SOG compared to other JGSDF units.
Moreover, most members go to great lengths in further enhancing their skills – while some are dispatched to the US Army’s Green Berets, some voluntarily spend their vacation by temporarily joining foreign armies or training with private military companies.
SOG members training in Australia (photo: JGSDF)
While these rumors have circulated throughout the internet, the SOG rarely makes any news headlines due to its secretive nature. In an era where information leaks are considered more frequent than water leaks, the SOG has managed to conceal both their identity and activities, truly living up to their reputation as shadow warriors or the modern-day ninjas.
Besides from their security role at the 2016 Ise-Shima G7 Summit, the only other public glimpse into their activities was a brief video uploaded on the JGSDF official Facebook showing a 2023 training exercise in Australia.
Apart from these publications, the any specific details involving the SOG’s training and missions are largely left to one’s imagination.
Such secrecy has become fertile ground for rumors to circulate, with most suggesting that the SOG can be used for assassinations or rescuing abductees from North Korea.
Given that the SOG is Japan’s most elite special forces unit, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were actually tasked with such “dark” or challenging missions.
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