Japan Calls for Public to Follow Cyber Security Rules Playing Pokemon Go

The Japanese government is urging the public to follow the recommendations of the country's Center on Cyber Security when playing the popular mobile game Pokemon Go, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, the Japanese Center on Cyber Security issued a warning about the game and urged people not to use their real names when registering as users to prevent their personal data from being leaked. The Center also called on the public not to play for long outside during hot summer days in order to avoid sunstroke.

"As for the game Pokemon Go, many have fears about its safety and people's behavior. The Center on Cyber Security yesterday issued a warning. We would like people to follow the recommendations of the government for the safe usage of cell phones," Suga said at a press conference.

Pokemon Go is a free augmented reality mobile game where the picture displayed on the smartphone screen is projected onto real-world locations. The main aim of the game is to catch a Pokemon, a pocket monster. It has become a worldwide hit since its launch two weeks ago and has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints in cities around the globe.

This game, developed by a US software company Niantic, has not been released in Japan yet. The exact date of its release has not been specified.