EXCLUSIVE: Japan Eyes Launching New Intelligence Bureau Next July

Tokyo, Dec. 5 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to establish a national intelligence bureau as early as July 2026, Jiji Press learned Friday. The government will submit related legislation to the ordinary Diet session to be convened in January, as the first step of the intelligence reform initiative of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, according to several government and ruling party sources. The envisaged bureau will be formed by upgrading the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. It will consolidate information obtained by the intelligence divisions of government bodies such as the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the National Police Agency and the Public Security Intelligence Agency. The new bureau will be treated at the same level as the National Security Agency, which oversees foreign and security policies, and will be granted the authority to instruct ministries and agencies to provide information. The existing Cabinet Intelligence Committee will be reborn as the national intelligence council, which will involve the prime minister and relevant ministers. The new bureau will act as the council’s secretariat. The coalition agreement between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party, also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai, stipulates that they will work to pass a bill establishing a national intelligence bureau during the 2026 ordinary Diet session. The agreement also includes the establishment by the end of fiscal 2027 of a foreign intelligence agency and an organization to train intelligence personnel, as well as the prompt enactment of espionage prevention legislation. The LDP’s intelligence strategy headquarters, chaired by party policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi, is discussing strengthening the government’s command center function on intelligence-related matters, enhancing the ability to collect foreign intelligence and building a system to prevent foreign interference. Regarding the command center function, the party headquarters will submit proposals to the government as early as January. As for espionage prevention legislation, the government and ruling parties are also considering submitting a bill to require foreign agents to register their activities in Japan, while being mindful of concerns that the legislation could lead to increased state surveillance. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]