At one of Japan’s most established cybersecurity forums, members of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations stood apart as the only non-Japanese participant, underscoring years of trust built with Japanese law enforcement and national-security partners.
At the 30th annual Shirahama Cyber Crime Symposium, held May 18-20, personnel from AFOSI Detachment 622 and Center Det. 1 joined Japanese law enforcement, government, academia and private-sector representatives to discuss emerging cyber threats.
“Our presence at Shirahama reflects a broader relationship AFOSI has built across the Pacific over many years,” said Special Agent Kel Ide, AFOSI Field Investigations Region 6 Det. 622 special agent-in-charge. “We have institutional knowledge from the last two decades, and those connections give us access, trust and perspective that directly supports mission readiness.”
Ide said the symposium is not simply an annual engagement, but part of a broader effort to strengthen partnerships with Japanese law enforcement and national-security counterparts taking on shared cyber threats across the region.
“We’re in a unique position as an organization with long-standing Japanese counterparts,” Ide said. “But cyber is only one part of what we do. We also bring the larger AFOSI mission with us, including criminal investigations, counterintelligence, protective service operations and trusted liaison with our host nation.”
This year’s symposium theme, “Thinking about ‘Collaboration’ in the Future,” reflected a central focus on building stronger networks among organizations confronting increasingly complex cybercrime.
Organized in close partnership with the Wakayama Prefectural Police, the event received support from Japan’s National Police Agency, Ministry of Defense and Digital Agency. For AFOSI, the symposium offered a platform to share expertise and strengthen operational relationships.
AFOSI’s briefing on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cybercrime,” led by Special Agent Eric Baechle with interpretation support from SI Aiko Ogawa, drew more than 80 Japanese law enforcement and security officials, making it one of the symposium’s most heavily attended breakout sessions.
The presentation examined how AI is shaping cyber-enabled crime while introducing many attendees to AFOSI’s broader mission, Baechle said.
He added one of the main points for attendees was that AI is not limited by geography, making close coordination between law enforcement, industry and international partners increasingly important.
“The primary takeaway is that AI is a dangerous, borderless force multiplier for cyber adversaries,” Baechle said. “Law enforcement has to understand how AI operates, where evidence is generated and how to work seamlessly with partners to identify and disrupt these threats quickly.”
According to Ide, the restricted law enforcement setting allowed for more direct discussion. Interest continued after the formal question-and-answer period, with attendees staying behind and lining up to ask AFOSI personnel additional questions.
Baechle said many of the questions focused on how U.S. investigators use AI during cyber investigations, highlighting a broader challenge facing law enforcement as technology evolves faster than legal and judicial systems can adapt.
“There is still a need for human witnesses who can explain how AI-derived evidence was lawfully acquired and why it is relevant,” Baechle said. “That tension between rapid technological change and judicial readiness is something investigators around the world are working through.”
Long-standing effort
The engagement also reflected Det. 622’s broader role in Japan. While cyber is only one part of the detachment’s portfolio, Ide said AFOSI’s trust with Japanese partners has been built through years of sustained engagement. Ide previously served 13 years at the Tokyo Seat of Government as a journeyman agent, adding how the Det. 622 benefits from personnel with deep regional experience, language skills and relationships across Japanese agencies.
“We have institutional knowledge from the last two decades, and it becomes second nature for us,” Ide said. “A lot of the knowledge and connections have deep roots that we leverage.”
Ide said those relationships have proven valuable in past investigations, including cases involving cyber-enabled activity and digital evidence recovery. In those instances, trust with Japanese partners helped AFOSI access support that strengthened broader casework.
Strengthening host-nation ties
According to Ide, Det. 622 also coordinates periodic subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs), partner engagements and cyber-focused events outside the formal conference setting.
For example, when AFOSI cyber specialists from other agency elements, including the Center, travel to Japan, Det. 622 members work to create opportunities for them to meet with Japanese counterparts and discuss unique investigative methods.
Ide said Det. 622 also serves as a vital bridge for the Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3), enabling direct collaboration with national-level cyber partners and key stakeholders within U.S. Forces Japan and the U.S. Embassy. This partnership, he said, solidifies DC3’s presence and influence in Japan while elevating AFOSI’s credibility and standing within Japan’s broader cybersecurity community.
Baechle said sharing AFOSI’s perspective on AI-enabled cybercrime also helps establish a common understanding with Japanese law enforcement partners, especially as cyber threats increasingly cross-national borders.
“Those trusted baselines are what allow for real-time intelligence sharing and swift cross-border evidence retrieval,” Baechle said. “That kind of operational alliance is essential to countering borderless, AI-driven cyber threats.” By hosting partner events, AFOSI provides a forum where agencies can exchange perspectives, including with each other, and identify shared priorities, he said.
“When AFOSI is inviting law enforcement professionals to something, that gives them a chance to network with each other,” Ide said. “It also makes us conduits and valuable to their mission.”
In the end, Ide said, the cyber symposium reinforced that role by placing AFOSI directly in front of Japanese security officials working to counter cyber-enabled crime.
“Events like Shirahama demonstrate how tactical engagements support strategic outcomes,” said Col. James Merenda, AFOSI Reg. 6 commander. “When our personnel build trust with Japanese law enforcement and cybersecurity partners, they are also strengthening the broader network that underpins stability and deterrence across the Pacific.”