Japan to Establish First National Security Agency

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae announced recently that her administration will create Japan’s inaugural national security agency, aiming to develop an external intelligence operation akin to the CIA in the United States.

Takaichi revealed this plan during the first session of a 17-member expert panel focused on intelligence and counter-espionage. During her remarks, she emphasized the pressing need for Japan to enhance its intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly due to the complex threats it faces.

“In the region surrounding Japan, China and North Korea are bolstering their military strengths. Moreover, we are witnessing increased cooperation between China and Russia, as well as between Russia and North Korea,” she explained to the media following the meeting.

“We must enhance our intelligence capabilities to protect public safety and safeguard national interests,” she asserted.

In the aftermath of World War II, the victorious Allies dismantled most of Japan’s intelligence networks. The pacifist leanings of postwar Japanese society led to a reluctance in rebuilding these systems. Consequently, the U.S. agreed to provide foreign intelligence as part of its security agreement with Japan, leaving a patchwork of smaller agencies to handle local issues.

This arrangement continued until the mid-1980s, when Japan established its first centralized intelligence agency—the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO). While this agency brought some level of central organization, it didn’t significantly expand national intelligence operations. In fact, Japan only implemented a proper system for classifying state secrets as recently as 2013.

For decades, CIRO operated without substantial reform even as Japan grew increasingly concerned about terrorism, notably during the rise of the Islamic State. A pivotal shift occurred with the election of Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, in October 2025, which was followed by a spike in Chinese espionage activities.

Following Takaichi’s comments in November 2025 about a possible Japanese response to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the Chinese regime reacted with intense hostility toward her. This has led to a significant rise in aggressive sentiments from China towards Japan.

Japan’s concerns are not limited to China; there are also escalating worries regarding Russia, especially given ongoing territorial disputes with Tokyo and Russia’s assertive behavior since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Following the invasion, many Western nations expelled Russian spies, some of whom sought refuge in Japan, often using positions with Russia’s Aeroflot as cover.

These Russian agents began engaging in industrial espionage, stealing Japanese technology for use against Ukraine. Alarmingly, several Japanese components that had been restricted from export to Russia have appeared among debris from Russian missile attacks in Ukraine.

Takaichi referred to the foreign theft of advanced technologies as one of the motivations for establishing the new security agency during her address. She also raised concerns regarding the threats posed by foreign influence and disinformation campaigns.

In May 2026, the Japanese parliament approved the formation of a successor agency to CIRO, named the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). Around that same period, Japan relaxed its weapons export restrictions and set up a board to review foreign investments, similar to the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS), further aggravating China. Collectively, these actions indicated a shift toward a more assertive defense strategy under Takaichi.

The NIB is designed to operate as an intelligence service comparable to the CIA and other members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence coalition. Officially established in July, the NIB and its governing body, the National Intelligence Council—chaired personally by Takaichi—are set to receive increased funding, personnel, and authority in the near future. Takaichi has expressed her ambition for the NIB to achieve capabilities on par with the CIA by March 2028.