Fukushiro Nukaga, head of the Japan Defense Agency, said that his government would be justified in mounting pre-emptive strikes against North Korean missile bases.
The remnants of the faction, formally known by this time as Heisei Kenkyūkai (Heisei Research Council), remained active under the leadership of Yūji Tsushima, who resigned prior to the 2009 general election, passing control to Fukushiro Nukaga.
Other members of the group include the current PM Yasuo Fukuda; current Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba; a former leader of the Democratic Party of Japan Seiji Maehara; Ex-Defense Ministers Fumio Kyuma, Tokuichiro Tamazawa, Fukushiro Nukaga, Tsutomu Kawara and Gen Nakatani; Ex-Agriculture Ministers Tsutomu Takebe and Norihiko Akagi.