Japan Enacts Bill to Establish National Intelligence Council

Tokyo, May 27 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s parliament on Wednesday enacted a bill to establish a national intelligence council aimed at strengthening the government’s intelligence capabilities. In a plenary meeting, the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, approved the bill by a majority vote, with support from the ruling pair of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party, as well as from the opposition Democratic Party for the People, following its passage through the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, in late April. The legislation is the first step in intelligence reform, which Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi upholds as a flagship policy. The council will be launched as early as July, with the prime minister serving as its chair. It will also be composed of the chief cabinet secretary, the financial services minister, the head of the National Public Safety Commission and the justice, foreign, finance, industry, land and defense ministers. It will investigate and discuss critical intelligence activities related to national security and terrorism, as well as foreign intelligence activities, including influence operations by foreign spies, and will formulate basic policies for dealing with them. In Japan’s intelligence activities, bureaucratic sectionalism among the National Police Agency, the Public Security Intelligence Agency and the foreign and defense ministries has long been regarded as a problem. To address this, ministries and agencies will be required to submit related documents and information to be consolidated under the council, enhancing its command function. The council will also draw up the government’s mid- to long-term intelligence strategy. As the secretariat for the council, a national intelligence bureau, upgraded from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, will be established within the Cabinet Secretariat, starting with around 700 personnel. A post of director to head the bureau will be created by upgrading the current position of cabinet intelligence director. The new post will be ranked on par with the secretary-general of the National Security Secretariat. The prime minister views the enhancement of intelligence capabilities as one of contentious issues that divide public opinion. The policy was specified in the coalition agreement between the LDP and the JIP. The government will now work toward setting up a foreign intelligence agency by the end of fiscal 2027 and swiftly enacting anti-espionage legislation. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]