Western nations are providing support to help Japan reinstate a national intelligence agency, which was disbanded after World War II.

This is an important step to understand and counter how their regional adversaries may move against Japan’s assets, democracy, and sovereignty.

I am glad to see the new Prime Minister is investing in this critical espionage and counter-espionage capability. The importance will increase as tensions rise and AI technology becomes a more dangerous amplifier on the international political stage.

Japan will form a National Intelligence Council and the National Intelligence Bureau to gather and analyze data that will support more timely and informed foreign policy decisions. The United States, Germany, and Australia are assisting Japan in building out an effective foreign intelligence capability.

Japan’s new intelligence prowess may play a critical role in the future, especially in the Asia region, and will likely share information across the various Western alliances, including the Five Eyes, which includes the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.