Woman to Become Admiral in Japan's Navy in Historic First, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Japanese officer Natsue Kondo is set to become the first woman promoted to the highest rank of admiral in the history of the country's self-defense forces, Japanese media reported on Friday.
Sputnik
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force consists of five regional districts that guard their assigned areas and respond to natural disasters, the NHK broadcaster reported.
Kondo will head the northern district of Ominato, headquartered in Mutsu city, Aomori Prefecture, with the official appointment expected on December 22, the report added. Her district is responsible for guarding the areas of the Tsugaru Straits and the Hokkaido region.
She is currently in charge of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Officer Candidate School in the rank of vice admiral, and her new appointment will require the promotion.
No woman has ever become admiral in Japan's navy or held an equivalent position in the army since the establishment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in 1954, according to the broadcaster.