Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has announced that her government will introduce its first national intelligence strategy that may ultimately lead to the creation of an external intelligence agency of Japan in the line of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States of America. The decision is in accordance with a proposal made by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan that has called for the creation of an external intelligence agency of Japan.
The overhaul of intelligence capabilities is part of the overall changes taking place in the security sector of the Japanese state in recent years. The meeting of the expert panel that included Prime Minister Takaichi also featured members who sought public and international consultation before Japan went ahead with the plans. The expert panel discussing Japan’s intelligence overhaul consists of 17 experts and is led by Toshiya Watanabe, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, The Yomiuri Shimbun s aid on Wednesday (September 30, 2026).
Because of the challenges that are emanating from the active battlefields of West Asia and Ukraine, the Hindu reported on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) that Japan is revising three policy documents on national security, national defence and military supplies (national defence build-up) ahead of time.
“We must strengthen our intelligence capabilities to ensure public safety and protect the national interest,” Ms. Takaichi said at the inaugural meeting of an expert panel on intelligence capabilities earlier this week. The Prime Minister said that before announcing the strategy, her government will give out directions for reforms in the intelligence sector of Japan. The LDP government has maintained that there is an “urgent” need for Japan to update its intelligence-gathering capabilities and bring appropriate legislation that would strengthen Japan’s counter-intelligence abilities.
