Cybersecurity minister contradicts comment he 'has never used a computer'

Bit fishy How can you use a computer and not know what a USB is? Unless he's using something more than about 15 years old which wouldn't completely surprise me. What's equally amazing is how he got the job at all. Anoth

Offices that take security seriously do not allow USB sticks.

Treading water to save his well paid job, soon there will just be a small wet mass of hair like substance floating as a reminder of his life's legacy. Next Nippon Kaigi member is undoubtedly getting a run down on UBS's and the crazy world of passwords.

This just proves Abe is mismanaging the country

Word of the day : iiwake = make excuses

One of the worst things you can do in a japanese company, but I guess this guy will stay at his post even if incompetent.

...but he said he had employees to do the computer-stuff for him? If you have to backtrack and make up an excuse, at least make it a good one.

It heartening to note that Mr Sakurada uses computer in his office for office work and is not totally raw in I T field as was the impression being created by the people in public. Mr Sakurada must now upgrade his skills in the cyber security field as it is never to late to upgrade one's skills .

How is this guy a cyber security expert? This is a joke.

I guess when he got back to the office, one of his underlings, after interrupting his game of Golf, pointed out that the Wii-U device that he was playing his Golf game on, could be considered as a "Computer"....

Haha check his desk I bet if anything is there it is a WAPURO not a computer LOL!!!!

How is this guy a cyber security expert? This is a joke.

People suspected something was up when he said "Why can't we just confiscate the machetes or whatever tools these hackers use when they break into computers? Or maybe make the computers of heavy steel?"

LOL. I think it's pretty obvious this guy has a Television confused with a Computer. Probably one of his assistants told him it could double as a monitor, and he get all discombobulated.

It's obvious he's just WASTING my taxes though.

Politicians are all the same everywhere. This reminds me of the US Senate hearing of Mark Zuckerberg. But sakurada took it to a new level.

It's obvious he's just WASTING my taxes though.

That's the real issue. I pay my share of taxes and I have no confidence in Minister Sakurada not to waste the entire cyber security budget.

A disappointing choice for the post to be sure and an embarrassing one for Japan.

This is so embarrassing.It sucks.The Japanese oyaji at their best/worst.

It is utterly disgraceful.

I bet he was one of those officials that decided the best way to protect their computers and networks after Windows XP released its last security update, was to duct tape the internet connection slots :D

Sakurada was named to both posts last month by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, having never held a cabinet position before during his 22 years in parliament.

Just another clown to help run the circus. The photo shows a very blank set of eyes with no education at all! However, I'll be he can use Excel, which is about all 99% of Japanese people can do on a computer. I'll bet he has a cassette player, video player and a fax at home though.

He is an Government Official !!!!!!!!! That means others do the menial work. What do you people expect him to do? How provides people with jobs. If he did STUFF himself they would have to find work elsewhere.

He should stick with his initial statement and not talk himself into a deeper mess.

That guy behaves like a little boy who told his mother the truth, but noticing she's getting too angry says "just kidding."

He has also blamed his mistakes on the opposition not submitting questions in advance, although they had, and during news conferences for the Olympics he has often simply answered: "I don't know."

Right, I get the feeling that he needs someone to read them for him too!

Off-course he uses the computer, only that its operated by his staff. Every morning all the emails in his inbox would be printed and left in his In file folder rack on his desk, he would than either write the response on paper or verbally dictate, later his staff would type and send the email's.

And this is a very common practice among bureaucrats and executives around the world.

"I always instruct them to take security measures."

Well, there you have it. He's covered. Take security measures, that covers everything that a cyber security minister needs to know.

Excellent instructions. Nobody would be confused with such amazing detailed instructions.

/s

The horse has left the barn. This is on my twitter feed, on my local news sites, etc. Japan is a laughing stock. Crackers I'm sure are pleased. Also think of all the city hall Windows 98/XP with no updates and IE5? Oh man, the network trolling will be Olympic level

In a way though even wide open systems in Japan are protected because of the Japanese language and the perchance for continuous meetings. For years. In that way I doubt there is really anything to steal. I would only be concerned with citizen ID numbers and registrations

On November 14:

"Since the age of 25, I have instructed my employees and secretaries, so I don't use computers myself," 

Two days later:

"Referring to the comment I made on Nov 14, I do not use computers at home on a daily basis, but at the office, I obviously use it for various work,"

That doesn't make a bit of sense, unless he's talking about the employees and secretaries at his house.

Incompetent and a liar. The perfect LDP politician.