1st Public-Private Sector Exercise Against Cyberattacks to Be Held, Simulating Large-Scale Infrastructure Disruptions

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:10 JST, December 15, 2025

Japan’s first public-private sector tabletop exercise against cyberattacks is scheduled to take place on Thursday.

The central government will hold the exercise, which is aimed at preparing for large-scale infrastructure disruptions, with the Tokyo metropolitan government and infrastructure operators.

The exercise is being held in response to a series of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, which underpins daily life as well as social and economic activity. It aims to identify the issues and vulnerabilities that would arise during disruptions caused by a cyberattack and establish a system for coordinated public-private sector response.

The main participants will be the National Security Secretariat and the metropolitan government. They will be joined by major infrastructure operators based in the Tokyo metropolitan area, covering such sectors as power, gas, telecommunications, healthcare and finance.

The drill is based on a scenario in which a large-scale power outage of unknown cause occurs in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The participants will simulate a coordinated response to a chain reaction of damage caused by a series of events, such as water supply stoppages; disruptions to communications, including internet and phone services; and traffic network failure due to traffic signal outages and railway service suspensions.