Interest of Japanese Intelligence Agencies in Demographic Data about Russia in the Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries

The aim of the article is to identify the significance of demographic data in the context of ensuring national security. The analysis is based on the historical experience of Japanese intelligence activities in Russia in the early 20th century. The main aspects of the work of Japanese intelligence services are revealed based on archival and expert materials from the period under study, including those that have become available recently. Research shows that in the late 19th – early 20th centuries, a significant part of the activities of the Second (Intelligence) Directorate of the Japanese General Staff was focused on collecting demographic information in the following categories. 1. Military statistics (composition, number, locations of military units; wartime losses; mobilization resources). Obtaining reliable information in this category contributed to the correct assessment of the military situation by the Japanese authorities and the early determination of Russian military-political plans. 2. Ethnic and social composition of the population. The collection and subsequent analysis of this information allowed Japanese intelligence to identify recruitment vulnerabilities in individuals of intelligence interest, successfully persuade them to cooperate, or covertly obtain intelligence information from them.

Russian Far East, Japanese intelligence, demographic data, ethnic situation, statistical data, national security