Japan Launches National Intelligence Bureau

Tokyo, July 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan on Friday launched its National Intelligence Bureau, to spearhead the government’s intelligence activities. Successor to the Cabinet Secretariat’s Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, the bureau began operations with about 730 personnel. The government will formulate a document outlining the bureau’s medium- to long-term policy guidelines and strategy. The National Intelligence Council, chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, held its first meeting on the same day to discuss the future direction of the intelligence body. The National Intelligence Bureau will serve as the secretariat for the council. “(The new bureau and council) will lead to the government making accurate decisions based on higher-quality, timely information,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference. He explained that records of the proceedings will be prepared in accordance with laws and regulations and preserved for a certain period to facilitate ex-post verification. The council is composed, in addition to the prime minister, of the chief cabinet secretary, the chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission, the justice minister, the foreign minister, the finance minister, the minister of economy, trade and industry, the minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, the defense minister, among others. It investigates and deliberates on matters such as terrorism and influence operations conducted by foreign spies and determines policies for responding to them. The National Intelligence Bureau is positioned on a par with the National Security Secretariat, which serves as the government’s command center for foreign and security policy. It will consolidate and analyze information held by government ministries and agencies, including the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry, and will also be responsible for planning and formulating intelligence-related policies and measures. Kazuya Hara, who previously served as chief of the National Police Agency’s Security Bureau and director of cabinet intelligence, was appointed as the first head of the National Intelligence Bureau. Takaichi handed him his appointment letter on Friday. Legislation to establish the bureau and the council was enacted in May. Takaichi is seeking to pass anti-espionage legislation and establish a proposed external intelligence agency as the next step in her efforts to ramp up Japan’s intelligence capabilities. The government will accelerate its consideration of such measures based on discussions by an expert panel to be set up in August at the earliest and proposals from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]