Last Update: Nov 25, 2014
Initial Disclosure Date: May 15, 2014

• May 12, 2014: Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a summit meeting in Tokyo. They confirmed “the necessity of cooperation in the field of cyber security and expressed their expectation to hold talks between the relevant agencies of the two countries.” ^(footnote:1)
• May 13, 2014: during Mainichi Shimbun’s interview, Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that “Israel is a world center of cyber security” and expressed interests in cooperating with Japan on this field. According to the interview, he told Prime Minister Abe during the summit meeting that Israel is willing to provide support for Tokyo Olympic Games’ security. ^(footnote:2)
• July 6, 2014: the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), and Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME) co-hosted the Japan-Israel Business Forum at Jerusalem. The conference focused on three areas that Japan and Israel should enhance their cooperation on and one of them is cyber security. ^(footnote:3)
• November 17, 2014: based on the Joint Statement of the Summit meeting between Japanese and Israeli Prime Ministers in May 2014, the Japanese and Israeli governments held the first Cyber Dialogue in Tokyo to discuss their cyber security-associated efforts including strategy and policy, economic issues, norms to apply to cyberspace, and potential fields of cooperation. The Japanese delegation, led by Akira Kono, Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy, included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), National Information Security Center (NISC), National Security Secretariat, Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO), Ministry of Defense (MOD), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), National Police Agency (NPA). The Israeli delegation, led by Ruth Kahanoff, Ambassador to Japan, included the National Cyber Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Economy. ^(footnote:4) According to Sankei Shimbun's interview with Israeli officials, who participated in the conference, the Israeli government expects this bilateral cooperation would lead to joint research and development between governments and high-tech companies, education and training of cyber security professionals, and confidence building through information sharing. ^(footnote:5)

Sources:

1. MOFA. “Japan-Israel Joint Statement on Building a New Comprehensive Partnership,” May 12, 2014,
   http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/000038423.pdf , 1
2. Mainichi Shimbun. “Interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Part 1),” May 14, 2014,
   http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140514p2a00m0na002000c.html
3. ASCII.jp, “Kasoku suru Nihon-Israel no keizai renkei [accelerating economic partnership between Japan and Israel],” July 8, 2014
   http://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/911/911980/
4. MOFA. "First Dialogue on Cyber issues between Japan and Israel," November 18, 2014,
   http://www.mofa.go.jp/me_a/me1/il/page22e_000617.html.
5. Sankei Shimbun, "Nihon no saiba anpo 'senmonka busoku' 'keizai inhura zeijaku' … Isuraeru daihyodan kara kugen [the Israeli delegation pointed out that Japan's cyber security lacks professionals and faces vulnerable economic infrastructure]," November 21, 2014,
   http://www.sankei.com/world/news/141121/wor1411210008-n1.html.

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