Defense Ministry Introduces E-Scooter Sharing at Tokyo Headquarters

Tokyo, July 6 (Jiji Press)–The Defense Ministry introduced Luup Inc.’s electric scooter-sharing service at its Ichigaya headquarters in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward this month to help employees travel inside and outside the 25-hectare site, which is five times larger than the Tokyo Dome stadium. However, this move has raised concerns on social media, including about possible leakage of location data on ministry employees who handle classified information. The Ichigaya site, which houses the ministry’s central functions, including the Joint Staff, the Ground Staff Office, the Maritime Staff Office and the Air Staff Office, is much larger than the sites of other ministries and agencies in the capital’s Kasumigaseki district. It takes a few minutes to walk from the main gate to the office of Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Three Luup service stations were set up on the Ichigaya site, along with ten e-scooters and five power-assisted bicycles. The vehicles are available only to ministry staff, and the ministry covers the service fees. “This is part of our efforts to improve productivity by reducing the burden on our staff,” Koizumi said at a press conference on Friday. However, not every ministry employee welcomes the introduction of the service. “I’d rather walk because I don’t get much exercise,” said one ministry official. “I’ve never used (an e-scooter),” said another. Following the ministry’s announcement of the introduction on the X social media platform, many users expressed concerns about possible leakage of location data and travel logs and the safety of ministry employees outside the Ichigaya site. Addressing these concerns, Koizumi said, “(The leakage of) location data would not necessarily cause security issues.” He also vowed to remind ministry employees to follow traffic rules. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]