Japan Establishes National Intelligence Office for Enhanced Security

Japan has inaugurated a new National Intelligence Office, its first centralized intelligence body since World War II. Headed by veteran police officer Kazuya Hara, the office will coordinate and analyze intelligence for a new National Intelligence Council, chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. This move aims to unify Japan's fragmented intelligence system and better protect against internal and external threats, particularly from China, Russia, and North Korea. The office began operations on Friday, with both entities officially inaugurated. This reform is part of Takaichi's broader security initiative, which includes plans to pass anti-espionage legislation and create a foreign intelligence agency.