The head of Japan's Self-Defense Forces has apologized for the delay in reporting the discovery of the daily logs of their activities in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, SDF Joint Staff Chief Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano said then-Defense Minister Tomomi Inada and other officials should have been told immediately when the documents were discovered in March last year. He said the SDF has to take the blame.

Kawano also said he believes the SDF remains under civilian control, but many people think this is not the case and their criticism must be taken seriously.

He added that there appears to be a lack of understanding among SDF personnel about the serious nature of information disclosure and its potential consequences.