The photo shows the Prime Minister's Office (Kantei) in Japan. The Japanese government launched the National Intelligence Bureau on Friday as an organization reporting directly to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Photo by Asia Today
July 31 (Asia Today) -- Japan launched its National Intelligence Bureau on Friday, creating a central command to collect government intelligence, coordinate analysis and determine national intelligence priorities.
The bureau reports directly to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and was created by upgrading the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office.
It has about 730 personnel and is headed by Kazuya Hara, a former National Police Agency official who served as director of Cabinet intelligence.
Hara's career has included assignments at Japanese embassies in Russia and the United States as well as positions in the Defense Intelligence Headquarters and the National Police Agency's foreign affairs division.
