ABSTRACT
Japan is a country that holds many contradictions in relation to dealing with managing cyber risk including intellectual property (IP) theft and issues of cyberwarfare, which is explored in this chapter. The Japanese government is one of the most methodical in the world in terms of preparing for cyberattack. Japanese companies originate from the traditional zaibatsu, which consisted of family-owned conglomerates such as the oldest zaibatsu Mitsui, which became a huge network of cross-shareholding firms. The emphasis on harmony and the group has its roots traditionally in wet rice agriculture where all members of the group are consulted with group consensus and harmony taking precedence over any other form of group organisation. Supply chains are becoming more advanced in Japan having increased dealings with companies in other countries. One of the major ways organisations in Japan are mitigating cyber risk and attack whether related to IP theft or cyberwarfare is through information sharing.
