TOKYO (TR) – In international espionage, a “honey trap” is a technique whereby an attractive woman feigns a romantic interest with a male target in order to obtain confidential information.
Of concern to some in the political circles of Nagatacho, such maneuvering may have reached the Japanese Imperial Family, reports weekly tabloid Josei Seven (Sept. 5).
At the center of suspicions is an unnamed British man who was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the British Royal Family, and has a deep knowledge of Japan, especially in the field of economics. In fact, he is known among those associated with the Imperial Household Agency as one of the few foreigners who have deep ties to the Imperial Family.
A public security official spoke in a hushed voice to the tabloid, “It seems that a battle of intelligence activities has been unfolding around [the British man], who is very close to the Imperial Family, with spies operating behind the scenes without anyone knowing.”
The man in question, who lived in Japan for an extended period, graduated at the top of his class from the Japanese department of the prestigious University of Cambridge, and then worked in the financial industry, mainly in charge of the Japanese stock market. He then became a diplomat and served as the British government’s representative in Japan for an international organization.
Even after returning to the U.K., he still holds a key position in an organization that aims to be a bridge between Japanese and British culture, and is frequently invited to parties at the Japanese Embassy in London, making him a key figure in Japan-U.K. relations.
Close to the Imperial Family
The British man has also played the role of “native checker,” who corrects the English speeches and comments made by the Akishino family during their visits abroad.
A British Embassy in Japan official says, “Traditionally, English corrections for members of the royal family were done by people who had experience working for British government agencies in Japan. In particular, Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko were very fond of [the British man]’s work during his tenure, and he decided to continue working as a native checker even after returning to the U.K.”
His relationship with the Imperial Family is believed to extend back 15 years. Among the members of the royal family, the Akishino family is the one he is particularly close to. Even after returning to the U.K., the British man spent time with the Akishino family during visits to Japan, and enjoyed conversations with Princess Mako, Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito.
They sometimes met up with Princess Kiko and the British man’s wife for tea and cakes, and they had a friendly family-like relationship. Because of this relationship, he was in a position to find out the details of the itineraries of the Imperial family when they visited the U.K. in advance.
The British man is highly trusted by the Imperial family, held an important position in international goodwill in the U.K., and had unique connections in Japan, but in his private life things are a tad complicated.
Married with children
Although the British man is married with children, he became involved in an affair with a young Chinese woman, who was a graduate student at the University of Tokyo.
However, this beautiful woman is not an ordinary foreign student. A source at the university describes her as “beautiful,” comparing her looks to that of an actress. That’s not all.
“She is also the best student I had ever seen,” the source says. “She is exceptionally intelligent, but she is not arrogant about her academic background. She is friendly and has many friends. Her slightly accented Japanese and English even give her an attractive aura.”
While she was a student, she was the organizer for Chinese students at the University of Tokyo. “She even hosted a party for nearly 100 Chinese people,” the source continues.
Thought to be in her 30s now, she is from eastern China and studied at the University of Tokyo Graduate School more than 10 years ago. But, that’s not all.
“[The Chinese woman] is strongly suspected of having ties to a Chinese government agency,” the aforementioned public security official says. “While enrolled at the university, she used multiple names and engaged in activities beyond the scope of an international student. For example, it has been confirmed that she used a business card stating that she was a director of an NGO involved in solar power generation to contact METI bureaucrats and academics.”
Information provided to Chinese authorities
When the British man moved to the U.K., his Chinese mistress followed him. While enrolled at a U.K. university where many foreign students study, she continued her relationship with him. During that time, she is believed to have had access to various information about the Imperial Family, particularly the Akishino family.
The magazine says that it is possible that the information obtained from the British man was provided to the Chinese authorities through his mistress.
When contacted by the magazine, the British man downplayed such suspicions. “We dated for a relatively brief period,” he said. “She never asked me any questions about the Imperial Household Agency, the Imperial Family, or the British Council.”
Tracking movements
A public security official who specializes in crimes committed by foreigners says that China has been interested in the Imperial Family for a long time and has been collecting inside information.
“The Chinese government is interested in the Imperial Family because, for example, they believe that if they have inside information about the members of the Imperial Family, they can use it for information operations to cause upheaval and confusion among the Japanese people in case of an emergency,” the source says. “They also believe that if members of the Imperial Family show favoritism toward China, it will affect the Japanese public’s attitude toward China, and they track the movements of the members of the Imperial Family to take advantage of opportunities for maneuvering. The movements of such people are an important target of our investigation.”
When reached for comment, a representative from the Imperial Household Agency said, “The name of a native checker is personal information, and we will refrain from answering such questions. We will also refrain from answering questions that require us to address a request to a specific individual.”
