Hikaru Saeki, Japanese admiral, the first female star officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
Hikaru Saeki (佐伯 光, Saeki Hikaru, 3 April 1943 –) is the first female admiral of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the first female in the entire Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to achieve star rank. Originally an obstetrician-gynecologist with the degree of M.D., Saeki joined the JMSDF in 1989. After her service in several military hospitals and medical rooms aboard naval vessels, she became the first woman to head a JSDF hospital in 1997, promoted to rear admiral in 2001, and retired in 2003.