Assigned to the JCG's 1st Region, Bell 212 JA9536 follows the coast near its base at Kushiro, Hokkaido. This type of helicopter is the most numerous in JCG service and forms the mainstay of embarked air operations.

To help to track suspicious North Korean vessels two Gulfstream GV Sea Watch aircraft were acquired and entered service in July 2005. They can also be used to assist in search-and-rescue work.

Super Puma JA6686 hovers astern the deck of the Patrol Vessel Large (PL) Erimo, one of 28 JCG ships capable of supporting helicopter operations. Primarily used for search-and-rescue missions, JCG Super Pumas helped to save the lives of 94 people in 2006.

Three of the five-member crew on JCG Sikorsky S-76Cs, the two pilots and the radio operator/rescue commander, are provided with images from the nose-mounted FLIR system. The helicopter is also fitted with a Nitesun searchlight, which is pointing towards the camera. This photo was taken when the service's official English title was Japan Maritime Safety Agency.

NAMC YS-11A, JA8782 departs from Shin-Chitose Airport, Hokkaido. This aircraft type has mostly been tasked with undertaking SAR by the JCG, though it has undertaken a range of tasks over the years, including a survey of the seas surrounding Japan using a magnetometer.