Japan disciplines military top brass for mishandling classified information

Doubts about Japan’s ability to handle classified information could hinder that collaboration

By Reuters
July 13, 2024
Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) bring down the Japanese national flag in the early evening, at JGSDF Miyako camp on Miyako Island, Okinawa prefecture, Japan on April 20, 2022. — Reuters
Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) bring down the Japanese national flag in the early evening, at JGSDF Miyako camp on Miyako Island, Okinawa prefecture, Japan on April 20, 2022. — Reuters

TOKYO: Japan on Friday disciplined more than 200 defence personnel,including the military’s top brass and senior bureaucrats, for mishandling classified material and other incidents.

The information security problems have occurred as Japan seeks closer cooperation with the U.S. and other western democracies, including in intelligence sharing, to coordinate responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions with China. Doubts about Japan’s ability to handle classified information could hinder that collaboration. The head of Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force, Ryo Sakai, resigned his post on Friday, effective on July 19, after reports that sailors without security clearance were allowed to access sensitive vessel tracking data of foreign military ships.

Sakai’s commander, General Yoshihide Yoshida, the Chief of Staff of Japan’s Joint Staff, along with the commanders of the other military branches were also reprimanded, but will remain in their posts, Japan’s Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara said at a news conference. Kihara apologized for the security lapses and other infractions, including fraudulent compensation claims by SDF personnel for diving assignments.