Your Gateway to Cyber Insights
Mission Statement
- Premise
The international order is now facing serious challenges. Advanced democratic nations, including Japan, have long championed universal values such as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law, leading efforts to build a prosperous and cooperative global order. Many countries have benefited from this international system, enjoying the fruits of peace, stability, and economic growth.
However, some states that do not share these universal values are accelerating actions to challenge the international order. In particular, the rapid military build-up in Japan’s vicinity, including nuclear and missile capabilities, has intensified the pressure for unilateral changes through the use of force. Furthermore, with advances in science and technology, new areas such as space and cyberspace have become constant arenas for conflict.
To address these challenges, Japan adopted a new National Security Strategy in 2022, taking a strategic approach in areas such as diplomacy, defense, economic security, technology, cyberspace, maritime and space security, intelligence, and energy. These challenges cannot be resolved by the government alone. Collaboration among government, academia, and private sector stakeholders is essential. In response, the Japan Institute for Cybersecurity and Society (JICSS) is focusing on economic security, technology, and cyber domains, leveraging the expertise from various sectors to propose practical solutions, build consensus, and promote action.
- New Battlelines
Japan is currently facing the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II. The rise of China, the world’s second-largest economy and a major military spender, poses significant destabilizing factors in the Indo-Pacific region. Moreover, China is advancing its military applications of cutting-edge technologies in areas such as space, cyberspace, AI, quantum computing, and electromagnetic domains under government-led initiatives. In particular, China is playing a central role in the global ICT supply chain, undermining its security and reliability.
In response, Japan and its allies are taking comprehensive steps to address growing threats, such as cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the competition over leadership in advanced technologies. In May 2022, Japan enacted the Economic Security Promotion Act, aimed at securing vital supply chains, protecting sensitive technologies, promoting strategic technological development, and enhancing critical infrastructure security. Japan is also advancing research in key emerging technologies and expanding its security clearance system. The new National Security Strategy, formulated in December 2022, prioritizes promoting economic security policies, reducing excessive economic dependence on specific countries, and strengthening the resilience of supply chains.
- The Essential Partnerships
Japan is recognized as a critical pillar of U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, due to its geographical location and the presence of U.S. military bases. Japan’s defense capabilities, particularly its world-class maritime security, are expected to play a crucial role in regional security during times of crisis. While Japan’s military significance is widely acknowledged, its economic and technological contributions to the global supply chain have not received enough attention.
Japan’s track record in foreign investment and the unmatched value of its sophisticated, high-quality components and finished products, which are critical in virtually every sector, are immeasurable. During the late 1970s to 1980s, this importance was encapsulated in the expression, “when Japan sneezes, the world catches a cold.” Beyond excellence in semiconductors and other key components, Japan’s defense-related manufacturing and technological infrastructure, essential in times of crisis, continues to maintain a high level of capacity, underscoring its vital role in global security and supply chains.
Additionally, Japan plays an indispensable role in realizing and expanding a free and open international order based on the rule of law. Historically, Japan’s investments have significantly contributed to the advancement of trade and infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific region. Through strategic investments in key industries and infrastructure projects, Japan has helped foster economic growth and stability across the region, further solidifying its position as a key player in promoting the principles of a rules-based global order. Japan has built a strong track record of fostering truly mutually beneficial international cooperation, distinguishing itself as a reliable and valued ally alongside the United States in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Japan as Leader and Laggard
In a world where economic security is national security, Japan has paradoxically emerged as both a global leader and a global laggard. On the one hand, Japan was the first major country in the world to appoint a Cabinet-level Minister for Economic Security and passed a dedicated economic security act in May 2022. It was Japan’s leadership during its G7 host year that motivated that body to make economic security a priority agenda item, leading to the issuance of the landmark “G7 Leaders’ Statement on Economic Resilience and Economic Security.”
On the other hand, even as Japan stands out in some aspects of economic security, it is a laggard in others. For instance, the system for non-publication of patents related to sensitive research, which has been in place in the U.S. since World War II, was only introduced in Japan with the enactment of the Economic Security Promotion Act in 2022. However, perhaps more than in any other area, Japan remains badly behind on cybersecurity.
Recognizing the seriousness of this delay, the 2022 National Security Strategy states:
“In order to ensure secure and stable use of cyberspace, especially the security of the nation and critical infrastructures, the response capabilities in the field of cybersecurity should be strengthened equal to or surpassing the level of leading Western countries. Specifically, in order to be able to respond to emerging cyber threats at any time, Japan will first establish a mechanism to continuously assess the information systems of government agencies, to improve measures against cyber threats as necessary, and to constantly manage vulnerabilities of government agencies’ information systems.”
As part of these efforts, the Government will continue to enhance defense throughout the lifecycle of information systems—including those used in diplomacy, defense, and intelligence—while promoting the use of human resources by adopting cutting-edge technologies. In addition, Japan will introduce active cyber defense to eliminate the possibility of serious cyberattacks in advance, even if they do not amount to an armed attack. Furthermore, the Government will continue to work for the enhancement of attribution and public announcement in coordination with its allies and like-minded countries.
- A Call to Action
n 2024, JICSS will develop whitepapers, engage in direct advocacy, and lead public and private events in support of our three-track cyberspace security mission:
Deepening understanding and alignment of economic and national security cyberspace policies between Japan and its allies;
Sharing economic and national security focused Cybersecurity Thought Leadership; and
Supporting public-private partnerships to meet Japan’s cyber skills and capacity-building needs.
JICSS will launch these efforts in January 2024 in a Chatham House Rule Roundtable and share recommendations in an initial whitepaper in March 2024. JICSS welcomes academia, industry, and government stakeholders interested in supporting JICSS efforts to contact the secretariat at info@jicss.org.
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