Breaking News! Japan's Cuban Crisis Strategic Wargame Version Conducted（日本版「キューバ危機」戦略的ウォーゲーム版実施！）

Breaking News!

Japan's Cuban Crisis Strategic Wargame Version Conducted

（日本版「キューバ危機」戦略的ウォーゲーム版実施！）

 A matrix game version was conducted two weeks ago, but this time a seminar game version (strategic wargame/pol-mil game) was run at our policy thinktank.

 The same scenario/inject was used, but the focus of this time's exercise was for the willing staff members to learn and experience some of the Control work, mainly the arrangement of actors' policy outputs for adjudication in Turn 1 and situation update for Turn 2.

 One of the members was impressively able to get a broader view of the multiple policy response sheets, quickly arranged them and helped me update the situation. Thanks to her, we can now smoothly move on to Turn 2.

 Well, again, Japan is in a dire situation at this initial phase...

(了）

Breaking News! A 2nd Cuban Crisis Matrix Game Played at a Japanese Policy Thinktank!（マトリクス・ゲーム「第二のキューバ危機」実施！）

 Breaking News!

A 2nd Cuban Crisis Matrix Game Played at a Japanese Policy Thinktank!

 In the wake of the recent development in Cuba in terms of its econimic ties with China possibly getting into the military dimension, we simulated a second Cuban crisis by the method of matrix gaming.

 The initial inject began with Chinese "facilities" being transported to Cuba, and in Turn 1, USA, Japan, Russia, China, and Cuba strived to push their policy forward by using DIME (diplomacy, information, military, and economy) cards to achieve their initial national goals over the next 3 years.

 USA failed to prevent the Chinese "facilities " from entering and being deployed in Cuba despite the high capablities of its intelligence center of excellence, and then an escalatory process soon started. Japan failed to anticipate the potetial advent of a second Cuban crisis and did little to offer to Cuba another ecomoic and financial aid package in exchange for Cuba giving up its economic dependence on China.

 In Turn 2, Russia decided to jointly conduct a naval exercise with China near Cuba despite its struggle in Ukraine and the tension just kept going up. At this stage, USA attention, especially US Congress attention, would be preoccupied with the ongoing crisis in its backyard rather than Ukraine and the Middle East...

 And it was obviously just a matter of time before a missile crisis becomes a real nuclear crisis...

 I thank the participants again and espceially Mr. M for writing the background story and the initial inject. Research, scenario design and writing, facilitation and more to come and learn.

(了）

速報（Breaking News）! Matrix Game "Japan's Cuban Crisis: The Threat Comes from the North" Played at a Japanese Policy Thinktank （マトリクス・ゲーム「日本版キューバ危機：脅威は北方より来（きた）る」試行！）

速報（Breaking News）!

Matrix Game "Japan's Cuban Crisis: The Threat Comes from the North" Played at a Japanese Policy Thinktank

（マトリクス・ゲーム「日本版キューバ危機：脅威は北方より来（きた）る」試行！）

 "Japan's Cuban Crisis" Matrix Game was playtested for the very first time in Tokyo this week.

Background:

 Russia deployed an S300V4 SAM system in 2016 on the Chishima Islands and has often been conducting military exercises since then.

Scenario:

 Russia has recently deployed another system despite or all the more for its suffering in Ukraine and reinforced its "defensive posture," but Russia's move seems to go well beyond "defensiveness" and is threatening the security of Hokkaido.

What is Russia's intention? What Japan should do? How would the US, China, and the ROK react?

Again, our policy experts played very seriously and enjoyed the game. Above all, all of us were able to get some sense of how this tough situation would develop. During the AAR, one of the experienced partcipants kindly pointed out a problem with my adjudication regarding cyber attacks. I will revise some of the game rules and try again in a few weeks. Thank you all for your active participation!

（了）

報告：マトリクス・ゲーム「ハイ・ノース Ver. 5（北極海をめぐる地政学・気候変動ゲーム）」日本初実施！(The High North (Ver. 5) Matirix Game Played for the First Time in Japan!)

 報告：

マトリクス・ゲーム「ハイ・ノース Ver. 5（北極海をめぐる地政学・気候変動ゲーム）」日本初実施！

(The High North (Ver. 5) Matirix Game Played for the First Time in Japan!)

 Tim Price's "The High North" Matrix Game has been played for the very first time in Japan!

 Japan is not an original actor in the game but was added for the obvious reasons with six resource points along with Norway, Canada, and the UK.

 The starting inject was set for Russia (the obvious Red Team) to propose the resumption of the Arctic Council while trying to consolidate its military "assets" it had been planting in the Arctic region despite or all the more for its current tough situation in Ukraine.

 Norway, Canada, the UK, China, the US and Japan all reacted to the porposal by their proposed policy option derived from specific resource cards within their given total resource points based on their initial 10-year strategic goals.

 I am not ready to write up a complete game report here, but I just want to stress that each team made its case very skillfully with the participants' regional and subject matter expertise. I personally believe that this is the very previledge our policy thinktank enjoys and is proud of. Yes, the players do matter in wargaming!

　皆さん御疲れ様でした。

　次回は影響力工作ゲームでもやりませう！

（了）