Japan is moving to establish its first centralized network of intelligence operations akin to the American CIA by early 2028, responding to mounting regional security pressures, regional military build-ups, and an escalating frequency of cyber attacks and foreign interference operations directed against the nation.
Tokyo Addresses Fragmented Intelligence Systems Amid Regional Pressures
Japan’s current intelligence apparatus remains heavily fragmented across police, defense, and foreign affairs departments. These agencies have historically struggled with systematic information sharing, creating structural vulnerabilities in national security. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae recently told a newly formed expert panel that strengthening the country’s intelligence capabilities is a matter of the utmost urgency.
We are seeing the military build-up of China and North Korea, as well as strengthened cooperation between China and Russia, and between Russia and North Korea,
Ms. Takaichi said during recent briefings regarding the new long-term intelligence strategy.
Alongside regional military expansions, Tokyo has registered a rise in the unauthorized leakage of cutting-edge technology involving foreign intelligence agents. Public and private sector infrastructure faces persistent cyber attacks, while targeted disinformation campaigns seek to manipulate domestic public opinion in favor of foreign powers.
Building a Centralized Architecture Modeled After Global Intelligence Networks
To counter these vulnerabilities, the Japanese government has already established an overarching security council headed by the prime minister, alongside a new National Intelligence Bureau. The next phase involves creating an independent foreign intelligence agency designed to operate on a scale comparable to established international services.
Osawa Jun, a senior research fellow at the Nakasone Peace Institute and a member of the expert panel, told the ABC that the old system failed to ensure that the nation as a whole carried out intelligence gathering and analysis in a properly coordinated manner. Setting up an independent agency will address those foundational gaps.
If Japan is to possess intelligence capabilities truly on a par with those of the US or the United Kingdom, gathering intelligence abroad is a vital necessity, according to Mr. Osawa. Conceptually, this new body will function similarly to the CIA or Britain’s MI6.
The ruling party’s policy documents target early 2028 for the formal establishment of the foreign intelligence agency. Planners intend for the organization to maximize the effective use of limited human resources and achieve operational readiness immediately upon launch.
| Reform Component | Status | Strategic Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Overarching security council | Established | Centralize overarching security policy under the prime minister |
| National Intelligence Bureau | Established | Improve inter-agency coordination across domestic departments |
| Foreign Intelligence Agency | Planned for Early 2028 | Conduct independent overseas intelligence operations akin to the CIA or MI6 |
Japan Builds Intelligence Architecture on Existing Counterterrorism Capabilities
Constructing a centralized intelligence community requires overcoming significant hurdles, including passing new laws to enable concrete intelligence-gathering and countermeasures. Personnel training and strict democratic oversight remain key focuses for the advisory panel as they draft the structural framework.
Kitamura Shigeru, one of Japan’s pre-eminent former national security chiefs, noted that the country does not have to start from zero. Instead, planners can build directly upon existing international counterterrorism capabilities.
In constructing a new intelligence architecture, Japan should not simply import every function of intelligence services elsewhere, Mr. Kitamura said, adding that secret intelligence gathering remains an indispensable function of a modern country. He emphasized that Japan cannot depend entirely upon information supplied by allies, regardless of bilateral closeness, and must strictly limit its focus to gathering information without engaging in overseas political subversion.
Drawing Lessons from Australian and Western Frameworks
As planners refine the legal and structural parameters of the new agency, Tokyo has examined intelligence systems and foreign interference laws in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Tomohiko Satake from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo noted that Australia has served as a good model for Japan over many years. Given the comparative scale of the two nations, Australia provides an achievable benchmark for intelligence capabilities and institutional design.
These intelligence reforms coincide with a broader expansion of Japan’s overall defense capabilities, which has attracted close scrutiny from neighboring regional powers.
