For the first time since World War II, Japan is on the verge of setting up a centralized intelligence service. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pushed through legislation to form a unified intelligence body. In her view, intelligence is currently spread out across dozens of ministries, leaving the country vulnerable to adversaries, especially China and Russia.
Under the approved plan – which has been signed off on by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation – the new body will be built around the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO). As official documents point out, this isn’t just a reorganization but a complete overhaul: CIRO will be turned into a central agency that brings together analysts, tech specialists, and operatives from both the public and private sectors.
The agency is expected to roll out in July 2026, after the Japanese parliament’s House of Councilors gives its final approval. Initial staffing will come to around 700 employees, though the government is projecting fast growth – according to cabinet sources, the headcount will double every two years as operations scale up.
A key part of the preparations was CIRO director Kazuya Hara’s recent trip to Washington. In a meeting with FBI Director Kash Patel, he laid out the planned structure and mission of the new agency in detail. Patel also reaffirmed Washington’s intention to offer Tokyo full-spectrum support: “We’re not just talking cybersecurity and counterintelligence. We’ll be helping Japan out with espionage and counterterrorism as well – this is a strategic priority for our alliance.”