The National Intelligence Council has begun operations in Japan
Japan held the first meeting of its newly established National Intelligence Council, which is set to become the key coordinating body for the collection and analysis of intelligence. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The National Intelligence Council consists of the Prime Minister and nine other members of the government.
The first meeting took place on the day of the official establishment of the National Intelligence Bureau, which will serve as the central body for coordinating the country’s intelligence services.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara described the creation of the new body as the beginning of large-scale reforms.
“The establishment of this council marks the first step in Japan’s intelligence reforms,” Kihara emphasized.
According to him, the new structure will enable the government to make more informed decisions based on high-quality and timely intelligence.
During its first meeting, the National Intelligence Council approved the basic principles of its operations.
Among the key priorities are:
- strengthening the protection of confidential information;
- developing Japan’s first National Intelligence Strategy;
- drafting new legislation in the field of counterintelligence.
It is expected that an expert group will be established under the council in the near future to work on drafting the relevant bill.
The National Intelligence Bureau will coordinate the processing of information collected by:
- the National Police Agency;
- the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- the Ministry of Defense;
- other government agencies.
The new agency was established on the basis of the Cabinet of Ministers’ Intelligence and Research Directorate and has a staff of approximately 730 employees.
Kazuya Hara, who had headed the Cabinet’s intelligence unit since June 2023, was appointed director of the bureau.
The Japanese government plans to form an expert group by the fall to prepare proposals for new counterintelligence legislation.
Once the work is completed, the document is scheduled to be submitted to parliament for consideration next year.
Kyodo reported this, citing a government statement.
Earlier, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence. He will replace Acting Director Bill Pulte, whose appointment drew considerable criticism due to his lack of experience in national security. During his confirmation hearings, Clayton also came under scrutiny for his responses regarding the 2020 presidential election.
