TOKYO—Japan is accelerating a broad overhaul of its intelligence capabilities as the government seeks to strengthen its ability to monitor and respond to security threats from China and Russia, following the enactment of legislation establishing a new centralized intelligence structure.
The reform centers on the creation of a National Intelligence Council and a supporting National Intelligence Bureau under the prime minister's office, a move the government says will improve coordination among agencies responsible for intelligence gathering, analysis and national security. The legislation was approved by parliament in late May and is a key element of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's national security agenda.
The new framework is designed to bring together intelligence functions that have long been dispersed across multiple ministries and organizations, including the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Security Intelligence Agency. Officials say the changes are intended to improve information sharing, strategic assessments and responses to increasingly complex security challenges.
Speaking after the legislation's passage, Takaichi said the law would strengthen the foundations of Japan's intelligence capabilities in what she described as an increasingly severe international environment. She said the government would operate the new institutions while taking into account parliamentary resolutions addressing oversight and privacy concerns raised during legislative debate.
Government officials have cited China's expanding military activities, closer security cooperation between Beijing and Moscow, cyber threats, espionage risks and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs as factors driving the reforms. Japan's latest national security policies have also emphasized the need for stronger intelligence integration to support defense planning and critical infrastructure protection.
The intelligence overhaul complements broader efforts by Tokyo to expand defense capabilities, invest in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and strengthen cooperation with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this month, the government unveiled an interim strategy promoting the development of specialized AI systems across 19 priority sectors, including public security and law enforcement.
Some opposition lawmakers expressed concerns during parliamentary deliberations that stronger intelligence coordination could require robust safeguards for civil liberties and personal privacy. The government has maintained that the legislation primarily reorganizes relationships among existing administrative bodies and does not expand surveillance authorities.
The government is now preparing to implement the new intelligence structure, with officials describing the legislation as the first stage of broader reforms intended to enhance Japan's intelligence capabilities amid a rapidly evolving regional security environment.
