Japan SDF's Handling of Secrets Raises Serious Concern: Report

Japan SDF's Handling of Secrets Raises Serious Concern: Report

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (center) and others attend a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (center) and others attend a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Tuesday.

   Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government Tuesday adopted a report that shows serious concern about a series of inappropriate handling of defense secrets by the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces.
   "We must say the situation is serious. We want the entire cabinet to tighten up," experts were quoted as saying in the report on last year's operation of the system to protect secrets specially designated by a law.
   "It is very concerning if the Defense Ministry and the SDF have become lax" toward such highly confidential information, in contrast to the growing public understanding of the issue seen over the 10 years since the law was established, experts also said.
   According to the report, Japan had 788 items of information designated as special secrets at the end of 2024, up by 37 from a year earlier. The designated information was contained in 744,774 administrative documents, up by 61,933.

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