The minister in charge of cybersecurity said he doesn't use computers.
Yoshitaka Sakurada, who just last week was criticized for stumbling over basic questions during Diet deliberations, found himself once again in hot water Wednesday after making it known that he doesn't use computers even though he is a deputy head of the government panel on cybersecurity and is tasked with overseeing policies on such matters.
During a Lower House Cabinet Committee meeting, Sakurada, who is also the minister in charge of the Olympics, said: “I don't use computers because since I was 25 I have been in a position of authority where secretaries and employees handle such tasks for me.”
Sakurada was answering questions posed by Masato Imai, an independent Lower House lawmaker. “It's shocking to me that someone who hasn't even touched computers is responsible for dealing with cybersecurity policies,” Imai said.
Sakurada also said “I don't know the exact details” when Takeshi Saiki, a member of the Democratic Party for the People, asked him about the measures that are in place to guard against cyberattacks on nuclear power plants.
Sakurada said cybersecurity is an important issue for the government and he is confident of his abilities as the minister.
Upon re-election in October 2018, Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet, keeping some members and adding new ones. This is Sakurada’s debut as a Cabinet minister. He formerly served as a board member of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He has also served as vice minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology. He is now the minister in charge of the 2020 Olympics, and a deputy head of the government panel on cybersecurity.