“If We Do Not Act Now, It Will Be Too Late”: Japan Creates New Intelligence Bodies to Combat Espionage
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has announced the establishment of two new intelligence bodies to counter foreign espionage and cyberattacks. The move follows reports identifying Japan as a hub for Russian intelligence operations.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the establishment of two new intelligence bodies. According to Takaichi, the move is intended to address threats that include the transfer of information to foreign intelligence agents and cyberattacks. The decision comes against the backdrop of an investigation published in The New York Times, according to which Japan has become a hub for Russian intelligence activity. The investigation reported that Russia operates a secret elite unit from within Japan and smuggles technologies with military applications out of the country.
“We must make changes to the current situation. If we do not act now, it will be too late,” Takaichi said.
Following the announcement by the Prime Minister earlier this week, the National Intelligence Council and the National Intelligence Bureau were established in the country on Friday. Additionally, the Japanese Committee on Foreign Investment was launched.
“We are facing widespread use of unmanned systems and new forms of warfare in the digital and economic domains,” Takaichi said in her statement on Monday. According to her, these threats include the transfer of technological information to foreign intelligence agents, cyberattacks, and the dissemination of disinformation aimed at influencing public opinion in Japan.
The establishment of these intelligence bodies comes against the backdrop of the comprehensive investigation published in The New York Times early last month, according to which Japan has become a major target for Russian intelligence in recent years, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to the report, the country's weak espionage laws have turned it into a hub for the activity of the secret elite unit, the 20th Directorate of the Russian military intelligence (GRU). Members of the unit operate under the guise of diplomats or businessmen to acquire or steal technologies with military applications, such as chips and electronic components, and smuggle them to Russia.
The investigation published by The Times also mentioned Maxim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a veteran officer in Russian intelligence, who operates in Tokyo under the cover of an employee of the airline Aeroflot. According to Western intelligence sources, Filchenkov manages the activities of the 20th Directorate from offices located just a ten-minute walk from the headquarters of the Japanese National Police Agency.
According to estimates by the Ukrainian government, about 90% of Russia's missiles and UAVs include components manufactured in Japan. Last May, Japanese components were found in the guidance system of a Russian missile that hit a residential building in Kyiv and killed 24 people. Despite all this, Japan is trying to change direction and, under Prime Minister Takaichi, is promoting a plan to strengthen its intelligence capabilities. The establishment of the new intelligence bodies is intended, among other things, to close various loopholes and prevent the continuation of smuggling and espionage activities in the country.
