For more than seventy years after World War II, Japan deliberately avoided building a powerful centralized intelligence apparatus. That era is now ending. Faced with an increasingly aggressive China, persistent North Korean threats, foreign influence campaigns, cyberattacks, and growing regional instability, Tokyo has decided it can no longer rely on a fragmented intelligence system designed for a different age. Japan is now creating its first centralized intelligence structure since the war, a move many analysts view as one of the most significant national security reforms in modern Japanese history.

A Historic Shift in Japanese Intelligence

Japan’s parliament approved legislation on May 27 establishing a new National Intelligence Council and reorganizing the country’s intelligence structure. The government plans to launch the new system as early as July. The reform creates a centralized framework that will gather, analyze, and coordinate intelligence from across Japan’s ministries and agencies.

At the center of the new structure will be the National Intelligence Council, chaired directly by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Supporting it will be the National Intelligence Secretariat, which replaces and expands the role of the long-standing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. The government is also planning a dedicated foreign intelligence service by the end of fiscal year 2027.

Takaichi has argued that the reforms are necessary to address Chinese belligerence, North Korean threats, foreign influence operations, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns that increasingly threaten Japan’s national security.

Why Japan Is Acting Now

The primary reason for the reform is the rapidly changing security environment surrounding Japan. Chinese military expansion, growing pressure on Taiwan, aggressive activity in surrounding waters, influence operations, and cyber warfare have convinced many Japanese leaders that the country requires stronger intelligence capabilities.

Several analysts note that Japan’s existing intelligence system was built for a period when the nation could depend heavily on intelligence shared by the United States. Today, many Japanese policymakers believe that arrangement is no longer sufficient. The rise of China and continuing instability across East Asia have created a need for better early warning, stronger counterintelligence, and more effective coordination among government agencies.

The legislation received broad support across Japan’s political spectrum. Supporters argued that accurate intelligence is the foundation of sound national security policy. Democratic Party for the People lawmaker Ushida Mayu called the reform “an extremely important first step toward fundamentally improving Japan’s intelligence capabilities.” She added that the security environment surrounding Japan has become “more multilayered and complex than ever before.”

Breaking with Postwar Tradition

Japan’s reluctance to build a strong intelligence apparatus stems largely from its postwar history. Following World War II, memories of wartime repression and concerns about government surveillance created deep resistance to powerful intelligence organizations. Japan also depended heavily on the United States for strategic intelligence, reducing the perceived need for independent capabilities.

As a result, Japan’s intelligence responsibilities were scattered among several agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, National Police Agency, Public Security Intelligence Agency, and the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. No single organization possessed the authority to fully coordinate intelligence collection and analysis across the government.

The new reforms directly address that weakness by giving the new intelligence leadership greater authority to coordinate information sharing, intelligence priorities, and analysis.

A Direct Benefit for Taiwan

Taiwan may be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Japan’s intelligence modernization. Japanese officials increasingly view Taiwan’s security as closely tied to Japan’s own survival. Takaichi has previously stated that a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan by force could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.

Analysts argue that a centralized Japanese intelligence system will improve regional cooperation against Chinese influence operations, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and gray zone warfare. Taiwan has become a major target of Chinese cyber activity, reportedly facing millions of intrusion attempts daily. Japan’s new agency is expected to focus heavily on counterespionage, gray zone operations, and combating misinformation, areas where Taiwan has already accumulated significant experience.

Supporters believe the new organization could create stronger intelligence cooperation among countries along the First Island Chain, including Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, all of which face pressure from Beijing.

Could Japan Become the Sixth Eye?

The reform has also renewed discussion about Japan’s relationship with the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. The Five Eyes consists of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is widely considered the world’s most powerful intelligence-sharing partnership.

For years, some Western officials have encouraged closer intelligence integration with Japan because of its strategic position in East Asia and its deep understanding of China and North Korea. The creation of a centralized intelligence structure could make Japan a more attractive partner for expanded intelligence cooperation.

While no formal decision exists to make Japan a member, many observers have suggested that stronger intelligence coordination, better information sharing, improved counterintelligence capabilities, and enhanced democratic oversight could help Japan move closer to becoming what some describe as a “sixth eye.”

Encouragement from the West

Japan’s allies have long pushed for stronger intelligence coordination. Reports indicate that the United States has supported Japanese efforts to modernize its intelligence capabilities. The FBI has publicly endorsed the new centralized structure, arguing that such efforts are important in responding to threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.

Western partners have repeatedly raised concerns that Japan’s fragmented system made information sharing more difficult and reduced the country’s ability to respond quickly to emerging threats. The new reforms are intended to correct those shortcomings.

The new organization is expected to begin with roughly 700 personnel. Officials plan to recruit security analysts, cyber experts, AI specialists, intelligence professionals, and private-sector talent. Future expansion is expected to focus heavily on foreign intelligence collection and counterintelligence operations.

Japan’s intelligence reform reflects a growing recognition that the country faces a far more dangerous strategic environment than at any point in recent decades. Chinese military pressure, influence operations, cyber warfare, and efforts to shape regional politics have convinced many Japanese leaders that stronger intelligence capabilities are no longer optional. After decades of relying on a decentralized system and heavy support from allies, Japan is building a modern intelligence structure designed to protect its own national interests. Whether it eventually becomes a close partner of the Five Eyes network or even a future sixth member, the message from Tokyo is clear: Japan intends to become far more capable of seeing threats before they reach its shores.