(Provisional Translation)

January 28, 2009

The Minister of Defense issued an order to the Commander in Chief of the Self-Defense Fleet to prepare for measures against piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. The instructions are as follows.

1. Piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden is a threat to the international community including Japan, and is an issue that should be addressed immediately. For measures against such acts of piracy, the Minister of Defense plans to issue an order for maritime security operations as an emergency measure for the time being.

To cope with this situation, the Commander in Chief of the Self-Defense Fleet will carry out the necessary preparations for a swift and appropriate implementation of measures.

2. The Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Office will issue instructions on the details of necessary actions for the implementation of this order.