VZCZCXRO0933
RR RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2645/01 2682251
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 242251Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7476
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1493
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2190
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 9726
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 6272
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2167
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0022
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8112
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2381
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 3764
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0597

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002645 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IRM/BPC/CST/EA KGODWIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECPS ACOA AMGT ANET JA
SUBJECT:  Emergency Communications Facilities in Japan 
 
REF: STATE 92121 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and 
Communications (MIC) officials report that under the country's 
system for priority emergency communications, such services are 
provided by commercial telecommunications carriers under terms 
specified by Japanese law.  Foreign missions do not fall into one of 
the categories set out in the MIC ordinance implementing the law, 
but Ministry officials state MIC is willing to discuss the 
possibility of a negotiated arrangement with the U.S.  This report 
is in response to the request contained in ref for information on 
host country emergency communications systems and their potential 
availability for Mission use in an emergency, and result from recent 
emboff meetings with GOJ and Nippon Telephone and Telegraph (NTT) 
officials.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Japan's Emergency Communications System 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Japan's emergency communications facilities are provided for 
under the Telecommunications Business Law, article 8.  The law was 
revised following the 1995 Kansai earthquake and it directs 
commercial telecommunications carriers, and specifically NTT, to 
assure vital communications during an emergency by assigning 
preference to identified numbers from designated functions or users. 
 This prioritization then allows carriers to suspend connecting 
non-vital communications as set out in the MIC Ordinance 
Implementation Rules of the Telecommunications Business Law. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Calls will be given preferential handling if they come with 
a priority signal or from a designated terminal or cell phone 
associated with a designated organization, and come during an 
emergency.  MIC officials noted a general similarity to the U.S. 
Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) program, even though the 
Japanese system does not differentiate criticality levels. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The MIC Ordinance designates 16 functional classes of 
organization and 6 classes of communication to be given priority 
communications access. 
 
Priority Functional Classes: 
 
-- Meteorological; 
-- Flood prevention; 
-- Fire service; 
-- Disaster relief; 
-- Maintenance of public order; 
-- Defense; 
-- Coast guard; 
-- Transportation assurance; 
-- Telecommunication services; 
-- Electric power supply; 
-- Water supply; 
-- Gas supply; 
-- Election administration; 
-- News media; 
-- Financial institutions; 
-- National and/or local government responsible for essential 
coordination or communications. 
 
Priority Communications Classes: 
 
-- Urgent threats to human safety or health, such as fire, epidemic 
disease, or serious traffic accidents; 
-- To maintain public order; 
-- Concerning the execution or results of national or local 
elections; 
-- Coordination and reporting in the event of natural disasters or 
catastrophic incidents; 
-- Warnings and reporting on meteorological, hydrologic, and 
terrestrial phenomena; 
-- Assurance and continuity of critical infrastructures and business 
services. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
U.S. Mission Access and Future Discussion 
 
TOKYO 00002645  002 OF 002 
 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to MIC officials, diplomatic missions are not now 
eligible for access to the emergency communications system.  They 
acknowledged potential situations in which preferential service 
might be warranted and desirable, and as an example recalled the 
difficulty Japanese consular officials had faced following the 
recent earthquake in western China.  Inclusion of foreign missions 
would require revision of the ordinance, in the view of MIC 
officials, and there are no plans to review the law. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Subsequent to meeting with MIC, Post inquired with NTT 
about the status of a standing arrangement Post has had with the 
carrier.  Upon examination, NTT officials reported the new law 
stipulates explicitly those entities eligible for preferred access 
and does not allow NTT latitude to support Post as previously 
arranged.  Therefore, corroborating MIC points, NTT advised access 
to preferred emergency communications would require negotiation of 
an intergovernmental arrangement. 
 
¶7. (SBU) MIC expressed appreciation for background provided on U.S. 
emergency communications programs and will consider these programs 
further.  They agreed there may be scope to discuss negotiated 
access.  Should both governments wish to explore this option, 
perhaps in a bilateral arrangement, the GOJ would also likely 
consider factors such as reciprocity.  They also noted, U.S. Forces 
Japan (USFJ) has access to emergency communications services, but 
said this arrangement pertains specifically to USFJ and not to the 
U.S. Mission, and it is specified separately from the 
Telecommunications Business Law. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The MIC officials also responded to supplemental questions, 
should Mission become eligible for priority access in the future. 
The GOJ program does not require any special equipment and, as 
service is provided by commercial telecommunications providers, 
access costs should be worked out directly with carriers. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Relevant to the discussion of critical communications 
facilities, econoff advised MIC officials of two upcoming events. 
Plans are under discussion for the fourth U.S.-Japan Cyber security 
Bilateral Meeting, and the fifth U.S.-Japan Critical Infrastructure 
Forum, both tentatively planned for November in Washington, DC. 
 
SCHIEFFER