Japan launches National Intelligence Bureau to centralize

Japan launched a new National Intelligence Bureau on Friday, July 31, 2026, centralizing the country's fragmented intelligence apparatus under the direct command of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The bureau, created by upgrading the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, is tasked with collecting, coordinating, and analyzing intelligence from across the government to inform national security policy.

The bureau, which began operations with approximately 730 personnel, is headed by Kazuya Hara, a former National Police Agency official. It will serve as the secretariat for a newly formed National Intelligence Council, chaired by Prime Minister Takaichi and including senior cabinet ministers. A key function of the new body is to formally require ministries and agencies to share intelligence, addressing a long-standing weakness where information was collected independently by various departments with limited strategic coordination.

Officials have stated the reform is necessary to improve Japan's capacity to deter foreign espionage, prevent terrorism, safeguard sensitive technologies, and respond to an increasingly unstable regional security environment. The country has...