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The main entrance and headquarters of Japan's Ministry of Defense in Ichigaya-honmuracho, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The Japanese government plans to add "human resources capabilities" to its National Security Strategy, which is scheduled for revision by the end of this year, to promote the recruitment and development of specialists in advanced fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. /Photo by Choi Young-jae, Tokyo correspondent

The Japanese government is moving to add "human resources capabilities" as a sixth key component of its National Security Strategy, which it plans to revise by the end of this year. The move aims to strengthen Japan's ability to deter attacks and respond to emergencies by securing specialists in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and space technologies.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday, citing multiple Japanese government officials, that the government was considering adding human resources capabilities to the five existing elements of the strategy: defense, diplomatic, economic, technological and intelligence capabilities. With the United States and China pursuing advanced science and technology talent as part of their national strategies, Japan has concluded that it also needs to explicitly include talent recruitment and development in its National Security Strategy. 

The National Security Strategy serves as Japan's overarching policy framework for diplomacy and defense. When the government revised the strategy in December 2022, it identified the five elements as components of the country's "comprehensive national power" to be mobilized for national security. Together with the National Defense Strategy, which sets out military strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program, which outlines plans to acquire equipment and personnel, it forms Japan's three key national security documents. 

In Research on National Power, a book she edited and published in 2024 before taking office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described human resources as a common foundation underpinning the five existing elements. At a government meeting of security experts in April this year, participants also proposed adding human resources capabilities as a sixth element. Minutes released by Japan's chief cabinet secretary included recommendations to develop both personnel capable of researching and applying advanced technologies and experts able to analyze international affairs.

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Two Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel prepare an MQ-27 ScanEagle unmanned reconnaissance aircraft ahead of an equipment display during the U.S.-Japan joint military exercise Orient Shield at the Yausubetsu Training Area in Hokkaido, Japan, in September 2026. /U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Raymond Boyington

The Japanese government plans to prioritize AI, cybersecurity, space and technologies with both military and civilian applications. It will seek to recruit researchers, engineers and government officials with expertise in these fields while expanding cooperation to include private companies, universities and research institutions that have not previously participated in defense projects. The government also plans to establish a framework involving not only the Ministry of Defense but also the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which oversees industrial policy, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which is responsible for education and research policy.

Specialists needed despite growing automation

According to Japan's Ministry of Defense, the Self-Defense Forces had 217,701 personnel as of the end of March this year, just 88.1% of the authorized strength of 247,154. This left a shortfall of 29,453 personnel. Recruitment in the previous fiscal year also reached only 11,177, or 72% of the planned 15,430 recruits.

As Japan's shrinking population makes recruitment increasingly difficult, the Ministry of Defense is seeking to reduce the workload of frontline units through AI and unmanned equipment. According to this year's Defense White Paper, the ministry and the Self-Defense Forces plan to establish a coastal defense system combining unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels and unmanned underwater vehicles by the end of fiscal 2027. As more equipment is deployed for surveillance and reconnaissance, securing technical personnel to operate and maintain these systems has emerged as another challenge.

Recruitment of specialized cybersecurity personnel has already begun. Since fiscal 2025, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has introduced a specialized recruitment track for officer candidates in fields including cybersecurity. The Ministry of Defense aims to expand the Self-Defense Forces' specialized cyber units to approximately 4,000 personnel by fiscal 2027. It also plans to increase the combined cyber workforce of the ministry and the Self-Defense Forces to approximately 20,000, including personnel responsible for system procurement and operations.

                                                                                                          Choi Young-jae