TOKYO, March 6 - (Reuters) - Japan's navy on Tuesday appointed the first woman to command a warship squadron, including the flagship Izumo helicopter carrier, as it tries to lure more females to make up for a dearth of male recruits in graying Japan. Ryoko Azuma, will command four ships with a combined crew of 1,000, of which only 30 are women, that make up the Maritime Self Defense Force's (MSDF) First Escort Division. "I don't think about being a woman. I will concentrate my energy on fulfilling my duties as commander," Azuma, 44, said at a change of command ceremony attended by 400 sailors aboard the Izumo, which was docked at a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo for repairs. By 2030, the SDF plans to increase the combined number of women serving in the air sea and ground forces to 9 per cent of the total from 6 per cent, or 14,000 people now. In addition to Azuma, other senior female officers in the MSDF include four captains and a rear admiral in charge of logistics. "I want to devote myself to becoming a person that will inspire others," Azuma said when asked if she wanted to serve as a role model for other women.
