Cyber Conflict: Competing National Perspectives

Chapter 6Cyberspace in Japan’s New Defense Strategy ¹

 

 

 

Since the end of the Second World War, Japan’s policies on security and defense have progressively evolved, while still being based on the restrictive principles of the 1947 Constitution. Japan’s accession to the rank of global economic power in the 1970s, the end of the Cold War, the first Gulf War and the aftermath of 9/11 were all milestones that offered Japan the opportunity to re-examine the fine points of its alliance with the United States (US), its role in the security of the Asia-Pacific region, and its involvement in military operations abroad.

While the international environment poses new challenges for the country’s security (the pressure exerted by the growing Chinese military; the threat from North Korea; and the weakening of the US hegemony), Japan has very recently experienced a significant political change, with the rise to power of the DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) in August 2009. The new government soon advanced a new strategy for defense, redefining its priorities. One of the characteristics of this evolution lies in the inclusion of the ‘cyberspace’ dimension in Japan’s defense strategies and military doctrines from 2010 onwards. This chapter aims to add to the debate on the directions Japan’s defense policies are taking, focusing on the contribution of the cybernetic dimension to the defense strategy. We shall examine the extent to which the treatment of cyberspace constitutes a major evolution ...