Pokémon GO is Spying? Belarus Has New 'Anti-Japan' Excuse

Alexander Ivanov, a senior Belarus Ministry of Defense official, apparently doesn't like games. He recently made a controversial claim that people were using the smartphone game Pokémon GO for espionage in Belarus. The popular game was developed by Nintendo and an American company. 

According to Ivanov, the app was employed to gather Belarusian military secrets. Belarus, a former Soviet republic, shares a military alliance with Russia. Ivanov made these statements on a September 12 state television program broadcast.

From Popularity to Suspension

Pokémon GO is played using smartphones. It uses the smartphone's GPS and camera functions, allowing players to capture and train imaginary characters placed in various locations. The characters then battle with other players. After its release in 2016, it gained popularity in Japan and worldwide, becoming a social phenomenon.

However, it is not currently available to gamers in Belarus. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the operators suspended services in Russia and Belarus, which supported the invasion.

Japan Espionage Conspiracy

On state television, Ivanov claimed that Pokémon GO was used to collect Belarusian aviation information when it operated in Belarus. "The area with the highest number of Pokémon [characters] was an airbase near the capital, Minsk," he stated. "It had runways and aircraft." 

He suggested that using the camera function in Pokémon GO could be considered espionage. However, he did not provide any specific evidence.

In July, Belarus security authorities detained Masatoshi Nakanishi, a Japanese national. Working as a Japanese language instructor in the country, Nakanishi was arrested on suspicion of espionage. Earlier this month, Belarusian state television extensively reported on Nakanishi's detention. This has intensified the propaganda alleging Japanese espionage activities in Belarus.

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Read the article in Japanese.

Author: Yuichi Onoda