Japan Press Weekly

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2023 May 10 - 16 [POLITICS]

Sensors installed on Japan's satellites may be used for military purposes

The Cabinet Office on May 11 did not deny the possibility that the U.S. military may use U.S. sensors installed on Japanese artificial satellites which will be launched within this fiscal year for military purposes.

An official of the Cabinet Office in charge of the outer space development strategy admitted to this possibility in response to a question made by Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Yamazoe Taku at a House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting. The official said, "That will be determined on the solo discretion of the U.S. side."

Yamazoe pointed out that it is the U.S. Space Command which will operate the sensors installed on Japanese quasi-zenith satellites Michibiki-6 and Michibiki-7, and that therefore Japan cannot restrict what the U.S. forces do with the collected data.

He criticized, "Japan is going to be aligned with the U.S. use of space for military purposes. This shows the extent of Japan's subordination to the United States."