“Considering Technical Information Protection through an Evaluation of ASAT Technology in Japan” is the title of a paper written by Mr. Junichi Nishiyama and Dr. Al Oehlers for Security Nexus. This article details the significance of Japanese advances in space, while emphasizing the need for protecting these technologies against espionage and theft.

Summary
Recent civil space missions have highlighted the significant advances Japan has accomplished in this high technology field.  While deserving recognition and celebration, in an increasingly competitive space domain, urgent attention is also needed in safeguarding the intellectual property and technical information around these missions.  Japanese advances in space are widely admired around the world, but likely also prime targets of industrial espionage and theft by malign actors.  In a world of dual-use technologies, moreover, there is an unfortunate prospect some of the greatest innovations pioneered could be stolen and re-purposed for applications supporting hostile military space missions.  Strengthened information protection can play a vital role in addressing both these risks.

Mr. Junichi Nishiyama is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Future Engineering (IFENG) in Tokyo, Japan.  Dr. Oehlers is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) in Honolulu, USA.

Security Nexus is a peer-reviewed, online journal published by the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.

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