Media: Japan to launch national intelligence bureau under prime minister’s office

Japan’s government and ruling coalition are moving to bolster the country’s intelligence collection and analysis, with plans to establish a new national intelligence bureau by fiscal 2026. 

A bill is expected to be submitted to the Diet to formalise the agency, which will report directly to the prime minister’s office, Caliber.Az reports via Japanese media.

The legislation aims to upgrade the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) into a bureau-level organisation, create a National Intelligence Council including the prime minister, and appoint a bureau director. The bureau would operate alongside the National Security Secretariat (NSS), which handles foreign and security policy, but would focus on centralising intelligence operations across government ministries.

Currently, ministries such as Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Justice maintain separate intelligence functions. CIRO collects information on political, economic, and security matters, including countering false information from countries such as China and Russia, but lacks authority over other government bodies.

Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi highlighted the need for a command centre that can coordinate intelligence from all relevant ministries to support policymaking under the prime minister.

The ruling coalition plans a phased approach, aiming to create an independent foreign intelligence agency by the end of fiscal 2027 and to introduce anti-espionage legislation. Proposed measures may include a foreign agents registration system similar to those in the U.S., U.K., and France. Opposition parties have also submitted anti-espionage bills, opening the door for potential cooperation.

By Vugar Khalilov