By HIDEMASA YOSHIZAWA/ Staff Writer
December 25, 2022 at 07:00 JST
Tokyo police, straying far outside their normal field of endeavors, commissioned a timely suspense drama starring popular actress Non about the danger of corporate espionage by foreign agents.
The film was made at the initiative of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Security Bureau.
Non plays a computer systems engineer who battles foreign intelligence officers resorting to every means possible to steal technological secrets from Japanese companies.
The 30-minute, three-installment video is available on the MPD’s official YouTube account. It also features actor Toshio Kakei in the role of a bureau official responsible for public safety.
They join forces to stop undercover agents from uncovering details of an ultra high-speed network system developed by an information technology start-up.
Although the plot is entirely fictional, as MPD officials are quick to point out, the way the foreign agents go about their business was inspired by recent trends in intelligence activities as well as actual espionage incidents investigated by the security bureau in the past.
It is rare for the bureau, which oversees investigations into the activities of extremist groups and religious cults, to be involved in the creation of a drama accessible to the general public.
Officials said the video aims to illustrate the lengths to which foreign espionage officers will resort to glean secrets in the hope it serves as a wake-up call for Japanese companies.
The MPD is waging a campaign to raise awareness among corporations and research institutes to prevent technological secrets from leaking from Japan to other nations. Working in tandem with police stations nationwide, the security bureau has organized lectures on the issue for 2,500 firms since last year.
The drama’s development constitutes part of that program. It cost 18 million yen ($130,000) to produce. The video will be distributed to companies to use as an e-learning tool for their work forces.
“A range of espionage activities are covered by the film,” said a senior MPD official. “It offers viewers an opportunity to learn about techniques that are utilized to steal information.”
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A scene from a suspense drama about corporate espionage developed by the Metropolitan Police Department (Provided by the Metropolitan Police Department)
