Japan's Biggest Security Shift Since WWII: Why Tokyo Wants A CIA-Like Spy Agency

Published 31 July 2026 · world

Japan's Biggest Security Shift Since WWII: Why Tokyo Wants A CIA-Like Spy Agency Published By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 16:35 IST After 80 years

Japan's Biggest Security Shift Since WWII: Why Tokyo Wants A CIA-Like Spy Agency Published By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 16:35 IST After 80 years of fragmented intelligence, Japan is launching a CIA-style Intelligence Bureau to counter rising threats from China, Russia and North Korea. Prime Minister Takaichi has argued that Japan must adapt to emerging forms of warfare and security threats in an increasingly unstable global environment. (Photo: AFP file) After nearly eight decades of relying on a fragmented intelligence system, Japan is set to launch a new centralised spy agency modelled on organisations such as the CIA in the United States and MI6 in the United Kingdom. The Intelligence Bureau (NIB) will formally begin operations on Friday, marking one of the most significant overhauls of Japan’s security architecture since the end of World War II. The move reflects a broader shift in Japan’s defence and security posture under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has advocated stronger national security measures and backed calls to revise Japan’s post-war pacifist framework amid rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia. Why Japan Is Creating A New Intelligence Agency For decades, Japan’s intelligence gathering remained spread across multiple ministries and agencies, with limited coordination between them. At the centre of the system was the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO), which had around 700 employees but relatively little authority.

Intelligence units within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, Police Agency and other departments often collected information independently, with no formal mechanism ensuring strategic intelligence sharing. This fragmented structure earned Japan a reputation among security experts as a “paradise for spies." James D.J. Brown, a political science professor at Temple University’s Japan campus and an expert on Russian espionage in Japan, told CNN that multiple agencies gathered intelligence but often failed to share information in a cohesive manner. Prime Minister Takaichi has argued that Japan must adapt to emerging forms of warfare and security threats in an increasingly unstable global environment. According to reports, Tokyo also sought advice from the United States, Australia and Germany while designing reforms aimed at strengthening its intelligence capabilities. What Is The Intelligence Bureau? The new Intelligence Bureau will replace and expand the role of the CIRO. Unlike its predecessor, the NIB will function as both an operational and administrative intelligence body tasked with collecting, analysing and coordinating intelligence gathered across the Japanese government. A key change is that ministries and agencies will now be formally required to share intelligence with the bureau, addressing one of the biggest weaknesses in Japan’s previous system. The agency will be overseen by the newly created Intelligence Council, headed by Prime Minister Takaichi and comprising senior cabinet ministers.