A complex mix of factors that include a lack of proper understanding of a related law even among senior officers is believed to have caused the mismanagement of designated security secrets in the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF).
The scandal prompted MSDF Chief of Staff Adm. Ryo Sakai to resign on Friday. Last week, the Defense Ministry announced rare mass punishments over the handling of sensitive information and other issues.
At a news conference last week, Sakai admitted that even the Maritime Staff Office did not properly understand the definition of an information leak, which is a cornerstone of a law on the protection of specially designated secrets.