The full minutes of the Advisory Panel to Comprehensively Discuss Defense Capabilities as National Strength have been posted on the Cabinet Secretariat's website as part of the government s efforts to increase transparency of discussions and broaden the public's understanding.
The report was incorporated into the National Security Strategy, which was revised in December, and the report was held four times from September to November.
This is an exceptional case in which all the minutes of a security-related conference, including the names of speakers, have been made public.
There were a number of opinions pointing out the need for counterattack capabilities and calling for an improved environment to promote research and development that contributes to security.
For Japan to improve its defense, it should amplify the equipment for counterattack capabilities, according to Kyoto University Prof. Hiroshi Nakanishi. Tetsuro Kuroe, a former administrative vice defense minister, said it was too late to discuss whether or not to possess such capabilities. In the area of research and development, Takahiro Ueyama, a member of the Cabinet Office's Council for Science, Technology and Innovation said it is necessary to create special spaces within and beyond universities where security-related research can be conducted with peace of mind. The President Toshikazu Yamaguchi, the president of Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, said that the government as a whole must work for research and development in new domains related to defense, such as space, cyber and electromagnetic waves.