Re: Exporting crypto from Japan

[Joichi Ito <jito@eccosys.com>]

At 16:30 97/11/16 -0700, Tim May wrote:

> My strong suspicion is that Japanese journalists and source are NOT the
> best place to learn about Japanese SIGINT and COMINT capabilities. Not hard
> to see some reasons for this.

I will agree with you on this. I am not an expert. (I am not a traditional
journalist either.) I was just stating my honest understanding and
impression.

> Please notify me, and us, of the forums where these engagements are
> occurring. For starters, how about some e-mail addresses of cabinet
> ministers and other officials.

The main problem is that most of it is in Japanese. 

The discussion in the media is definitely not enough, but it exists.
Mr. Makino, a lawyer is tracking the wiretap stuff closely and
Gosuke Takama is tracking the crypto stuff. Wired Japan (in Japanese)
is probably the most comprehensive in tracking government policy
in this area. Some of the major newspapers have published some good
articles. I'll see if I can get permission to post one by Mr. Makino
in English.

Most of the "talking" goes on in study groups run be the ministries.
The members of the study groups usually included party-line academics,
industry people, and some outsiders such as myself. I am usually included
in study groups that either want to protect themselves from my
criticism later or that feel I actually add value. The ministry will
usually go to each of the members of the committee and try to talk
through any important points before the actual study session occurs
so that there is no conflict during the session. In practice, there
are several of us who do not necessarily agree and we are verbal
during the sessions. These points get dilligently put on record and
impact the actual report if we are stuborn enough. These reports then
get distributed and used by politicians and media as references.

One way, other than being a member of such a study group, to impact
these study groups is to be invited as a speaker or to have written
material distributed and discussed. I have made a point of distributing
as much material from the Net as possible arguing against key escrow
and wiretap. If anyone is willing to come to Japan to make a presentation,
I would be happy to arrange such hearing.

The fact of the matter is, the system is very inefficient and many things
don't turn out the way I would like, but being one of the handful of
people who can say what they think in these study groups, I feel it
is my responsibility to actively engage in the method to trying to make
things better.

All of the ministries have web pages and email addresses, but I doubt
they have much effect.

I really am sorry I don't have a better answer.

> This discussion is hardly going down in flames. You're apparently too
> sensitive to engage in robust debate.

This is true. I am not going engage in what you probably call a robust
debate. A lot of people read this list and any robust debate will
probably lower my reputation capital in some important area for me
no matter what the outcome. I am not currently willing to take this risk.

> Frankly, I've seen no mentions in the American press, let alone the
> Japanese press, about how Japan caved in to U.S. pressures. (There may have
> been some minor mentions in the U.S. press, but they had little impact.)

There are journalists focusing on this issue. I don't think anything
is in print yet.

> So, Joichi, why don't you stir the shit on this one? And I don't mean with
> "constructive engagement." That's a synonym for inaction.

Sorry. I am stiring the shit way too hard already. Not enough for you,
I'm sure, but my risk is already rather high just talking to you here. :-)

> Point out to your Japanese readers the nefarious role the NSA is playing,
> the role of the U.S. spy facilities in Misakawa Air Force Base, where the
> NSA and its military liason offices, intercept the communications of
> Toshiba, Fujitsu, Hitachi, NEC, and so on and feed them, selectively, to
> U.S. COMINT consumers. (Why Japan and Germany allow U.S. SIGINT facilities
> in their own territory is a mystery to me...must be some nice payoffs to
> senior officials.)

This is actually rather well documented in the press and I think 
several analysts such as Mr. Kazuhisa Ogawa actively talk about this
point.

> Declare war on the NSA. You've several times trumpetted the Japanese
> Constitution as supporting basic rights even more than the Amerikan
> Constitution does, so this is your chance to say "Fuck the National
> Security State."

Nope. You're not going to catch me declaring war on the NSA on this
mailing list. ;-P

> Get the RSA chip released widely and quickly. The drug trade in Asia could
> use it right now.

I am going to actively work on trying to get people like RSA to export
their chip, but not necessarily for the drug trade.

So... I am a wimpy moderate, but at least I'm talking to you folks.
If you want me to shit or get off the pot, I think I'll get off the
pot.

- Joi

P.S. I am going out of town for two days and may not have
net connectivity. So, if I don't respond to something, it's not
because I'm hiding. If you don't hear from me in 3 days, call John
Markoff for me. ;-P

--
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