Because He Was Diligent

Tokyo Metropolitan Police sent a case to public prosecutors office, in which a former General of Japan Ground Self-defense Force handed internal document over a military attaché with Russian Embassy in Tokyo. Although the document was not highly confidential information, it included how JGSDF educated its personnel. The former General admitted the suspect on him and revealed that the Russian was so diligent in his job.

According to the document, former Commander of Eastern Army, General Kazushige Izumi, passed a JGSDF textbook titled “Infantry Operation” to Russian military attaché, Sergey Kovalev at a hotel in Tokyo in May, 2013. Receiving request from Kovalev, Izumi asked his colleagues in lower ranks than him to prepare one copy for Kovalev. Five officers, including former General Hiroyuki Watanabe, involved in collecting the textbooks. Those officers were also listed in the case. Police found that Izumi and Kovalev violated Self-defense Law in enticement for leaking confidential information. All those Japanese suspects admitted their involvements.

Five officers except Izumi did not know that the textbook would be handed over Russian military attaché. Kovalev has already returned back to Russia. Although Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested Russian Embassy appearance of Kovalev, the Embassy rejected it. Kovalev identified as an agent of Russian military intelligence body called GRU.

Izumi and Kovalev met each other in a reception at Russian Embassy in February, 2012. Since then, they had eight meetings at restaurants in Tokyo. In the meeting, Kovalev called Izumi “mentor” with his fluent Japanese language, and learned methods of operating companies, in which Izumi was an expert. After having the lessons, Kovalev asked Izumi a manual on what he had learned.

It is not a major damage for Self-defense Force to leak what kind of education their personnel were receiving. But, the tragic thing was the fact how JGSDF General was so easily lured by a trap of foreign spy. Newspapers stressed that Izumi was up in the air with Kovalev’s flattery pretending to respect Izumi. And Izumi’s subordinates were careless on Izumi’s request without any doubt.

From the time of Second World War, order from upper class has been absolute in Japanese military. Each officer does not think twice on what he was said to do. It is obvious that the Russian agent took advantage of the old habit of Japanese Force. Before doubting the people with legislation of protection of designated information, Japanese government has to double-check their officers.