Photo/Illutration The Defense Ministry in Tokyo’s Ichigaya district (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

State secrets allegedly leaked by a former Maritime Self-Defense Force captain contained information on military satellite images that captured the movements of Chinese naval vessels, government sources said.

The information leaked also included intelligence provided by the U.S. military.

The MSDF had compiled information and analysis of the images into a report about the movements and intentions of Chinese naval vessels operating in the East China Sea and other waters surrounding Japan.

The former captain had verbally shared the information with his former boss, although he did not provide the satellite images themselves, the sources said.

“The former captain may have thought ‘it’s fine to talk about this level of information,’” a government official said, since the Defense Ministry often announces the movements of Chinese naval vessels in waters around Japan.

But another official showed little sympathy.

“It is outrageous that he easily leaked information provided by the U.S. military, and it’s a foolish act that could have adversely affected our alliance.”

The captain in question, Takashi Inoue, was sacked from his post over the incident and referred to prosecutors on suspicion of knowingly relaying sensitive intelligence related to national security in December 2022.

He is accused of violating the SDF Law and the law on the protection of specially designated secrets.

The intelligence shared included state secrets gathered on Japan’s security environment by the MSDF, as well as information on the operational status of the SDF and its training sessions.

Inoue allegedly briefed his former boss on the matter in March 2020. His boss had retired after serving as a vice admiral in command of the Self-Defense Fleet.

The SDF’s criminal investigation team sent files to prosecutors with an opinion in favor of an indictment, sources said.

The Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office is investigating whether to indict Inoue.

The satellite images are designated as “signal and image information” under the law on the protection of specially designated secrets, the sources said.

Whistleblowers reported the leak on the day that the former captain had briefed his former boss on the classified material.

According to the SDF’s criminal investigation unit, Inoue told them he was “in awe” of the former vice admiral.

The ministry had said Inoue explained he had shared the intelligence thinking it was an official assignment and was under the impression his former commander would take on a new advisory role with the MSDF. But there is no evidence the former vice admiral was about to enter into any such role.

The two had met several times alone, and MSDF members who had worked with Inoue became concerned about leaks, the sources said.

According to the other government source, the MSDF reported the leaks to the U.S. military once the incident was uncovered.

The Japanese authorities proceeded with their investigation in coordination with their U.S. counterparts.

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