A new series of documents released by WikiLeaks reveals a list of 35 high-profile targets in Japan that the NSA has spied on since 2006.


The slew of new documents reveals that the USA has been spying on “conglomerates, government officials, ministries and senior advisers.” Those include:

the Japanese Cabinet Office; the executive secretary to the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga; a line described as “Government VIP Line”; numerous officials within the Japanese Central Bank, including Governor Haruhiko Kuroda; the home phone number of at least one Central Bank official; numerous numbers within the Japanese Finance Ministry; the Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa; the Natural Gas Division of Mitsubishi; and the Petroleum Division of Mitsui.


Elsewhere, documents made available by WikiLeaks include a series of reports that describe detailed U.S. understanding of internal Japanese deliberations. The reports touch on topics including agricultural imports, trade disputes, nuclear power and energy policy.

Speaking about the release, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief, explained that “the lesson for Japan is this: do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honour or respect.” It certainly won’t help U.S.-Japan relations, that’s for sure.

[WikiLeaks]

