Japanese Navy. Today's JMSDF continues to use the same martial songs, naval flags, signs, and technical terms as the IJN. The JMSDF still uses the Warship March, the old service march of the IJN, as its official service march. It also maintains the IJN bugle calls tradition, as every ship and shore establishment command maintain a platoon or squad of bugle players. Flag and insignia The Imperial Japanese Navy first adopted the off-set naval ensign on May 15, 1870, and it was used until the end of World War II in 1945. On June 30, 1954, when the JSDF was established, the JSDF and JGSDF adopted a different rising sun flag with 8-rays and an 8:9 ratio. The old off-set navy flag with the sun and 16 rays was re-adopted as the ensign of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, but it was modified with a brighter red color. The original flag is darker red (RGB #b12d3d) while the post-WW2 version is brighter red (RGB #bd0029). Food Curry was brought to Japan from India by the Royal Navy. The Imperial Japanese Navy adopted curry to prevent beriberi. The recipe of Japanese curry was gradually arranged in Japan by chefs. It is also an excellent recipe, nutritious, easy to cook in mass quantity, and reportedly delicious. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force continues this tradition with curry as the Friday menu. Japanese curry was changed and adapted drastically to become a uniquely Japanese dish. Ship names The ship prefix JDS (Japanese Defense Ship) was used until 2008, at which time JMSDF ships started using the prefix JS (Japanese Ship) to reflect the upgrade of the Japanese Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense. Ships of the JMSDF, known as Japan Ships (; Ji'ei-Kan), are classified according to the following criteria: Recruitment and training JMSDF recruits receive three months of basic training followed by courses in patrol, gunnery, minesweeping, convoy operations, and maritime transportation. Flight students, all upper-secondary school graduates, enter a two-year course. Officer candidate schools offer six-month courses to qualified enlisted personnel and those who have completed flight school. Graduates of four-year universities, the four-year National Defense Academy, and particularly outstanding enlisted personnel undergo a one-year officer course at the Officer Candidate School at Etajima (site of the former Imperial Naval Academy). The JMSDF also operates a staff college in Tokyo for senior officers. The large volume of coastal commercial fishing and maritime