As a Self-Defense Forces recruiter sat patiently at a booth outside a supermarket in Tokyo one recent weekend, she welcomed a rare visitor, high school student Kazuaki Matsumura.
But Matsumura, who plans to go to university, wasn¡¯t there to sign up. He was just curious.
¡°There are scenes in the media that spark interest in the Self-Defense Forces,¡± the 16-year-old said. ¡°But there are also scenes showing how tough it is and I don¡¯t think many want to join. They want to do other things.¡±
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