Japan builds first centralised intelligence agency since WWII, why now? | WION Decodes
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Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
Japan is establishing its first centralised national intelligence agency since WWII. Driven by rising regional threats, Tokyo’s new National Intelligence Agency (NIA) will shatter long-standing security silos to counter cyber warfare and foreign espionage.
In a historic shift to its postwar defence posture, Japan is establishing its first centralised national intelligence agency since World War II. In mid-2026, the Japanese Diet passed landmark legislation to consolidate the country’s fractured intelligence network, transforming how Tokyo detects and counters regional security threats. Historically, Japan's intelligence apparatus has been highly fragmented. Five separate entities, including the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Ministry, and the National Police Agency, collected information independently, often creating bureaucratic silos.
The 2026 reform fundamentally restructures this framework by replacing the legacy Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) with two centralised bodies like the The National Intelligence Council (NIC), a centralised command center chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, responsible for high-level intelligence coordination and strategic decision-making.
The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), is the operational arm tasked with gathering, integrating, and analysing data from all branches of government. Backed by an initial budget of approximately $407 million, the new agency will employ cybersecurity specialists, software engineers, and liaison officers.
Why now? The regional threat landscape
For decades, Japan relied heavily on the United States for strategic intelligence, a setup influenced by its post-WWII pacifist constitution. However, rapidly escalating geopolitical friction in East Asia has forced Tokyo’s hand. Several acute threats drive the reform, ranging from Chinese disinformation to Russian technology smuggling to North Korean hostilities.
- Beijing has reportedly operated local-language websites disguised as Japanese news outlets to manipulate public opinion.
- Intelligence reports revealed a clandestine unit of Russia's military intelligence (GRU) using Tokyo-based front companies to illicitly acquire sanctioned electronic components for military drones and missiles.
- Ongoing North Korean missile testing and state-backed cyber-theft operations pose direct threats to Japan's infrastructure.
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While Japan is not building a replica of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the reform is being developed with quiet advisory support from Western allies, including the United States, Germany, and Australia. The goal is to build a modern system that can seamlessly exchange intelligence with "Five Eyes" partners.
The legislation has not passed without domestic debate. Opposition lawmakers have raised concerns that expanded spy capabilities could encroach on privacy rights and civil liberties.
"The act represents the first step in reforms to strengthen Japan's intelligence functions. It will help Japan respond more effectively to an increasingly complex international environment,” Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan told reporters and was quoted in Qazinform International News Agency.
The National Intelligence Council and National Intelligence Bureau are expected to become fully operational by late 2026, marking a new chapter in Japan's sovereign defence capabilities.
