Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office

The Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (内閣情報調査室, Naikaku Jōhō Chōsashitsu),^[4] also known as Naichō (内調), is a Japanese intelligence agency under the Cabinet Secretariat responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information for the cabinet. As a principal member of the Japanese intelligence community, the CIRO reports directly to the Prime Minister. Its operations are mandated through the Cabinet Law.^[5]

The agency is said to be an equal to the American Central Intelligence Agency.^[6] Like most intelligence agencies in Japan, its personnel are usually recruited from other agencies.^[7] Around 100 out of 170 CIRO agents are from other agencies/ministries with top positions occupied by career police officers.^[8] The CIRO frequently works with the National Security Council as a communication channel to the prime minister.

The CIRO is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, in a building called "H20".^[9]

History

The CIRO was created by the Allied Forces through the formation of the Prime Ministers's Research Office (内閣総理大臣官房調査室, Naikakusōri Daijin Kanbō Chōsa-Shitsu) in April 1952 with Jun Murai as the first director in an attempt to replicate its structure after the CIA.^[8] But due to widespread opposition and the factionalism in the bureaucracy, this plan was discarded.^[8] The RO was placed under jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's office in 1957 and was known as the Cabinet Research Office (内閣調査室, Naikaku Chōsa-Shitsu).^[1] The CRO was later renamed as the CIRO in 1986.^[1]

The Cabinet Intensive Information Center was established on April 11, 1996 to ensure that the CIRO can inform the Prime Minister in case of severe emergencies.^[6] It's located in the Prime Minister's residence.^[6]

In August 2007, discussions of intelligence reforms through the paper Improvement of Counter-Intelligence Functions resulted in the establishment of the Counterintelligence Center.^[10] It's been suggested that the CIC can be used as the basis for the creation of an actual external intelligence agency similar to the CIA.^[11]

In 2013, CIRO satellite imagery analysis was used to assist NGOs in Tacloban for reconstruction work in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.^[12]

Since 2015, CIRO agents are usually recruited to be sent to the International Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Collection Unit.^[13][14]

In 2016, the business magazine Facta reported that the government of Shinzo Abe had directed the CIRO to spy on a legal council connected to David Kaye, who as U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of expression stated "deep and genuine concern" on declining media independence in Japan.^[15]

On January 12 2024, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center announced that the launch of the Optical-8 satellite was a success, which separated from the missile and has entered orbit.^[16]

Spy scandal

On January 17, 2008, an official of Naichō was charged for spying for Russians, passing them classified information. The Russians denied the claim.^[17] Since then, there had been calls for greater accountability on Naichō.^[18]

Organization

According to its official web site, organization of Naichō is as follows:^[19]

• Director of Cabinet Intelligence (内閣情報官)
• Deputy Director of Cabinet Intelligence (次長)
• Cabinet Intelligence Officer

• Divisions:
  • Administration (総務部門): Has Human Resources, Budget and academic experts.
  • Home Affairs Division (国内部門): Collect information based on domestic media, including newspapers, magazines and from news broadcasts.
  • International Affairs Division (国際部門): Collect information based on foreign media and broadcasts from another country, including CIRO agents based overseas.
  • Economic Affairs Division (経済部門): Studies domestic/international economic information.
• Cabinet Intensive Information Center (内閣情報集約センター): Secures information related to disasters and other emergencies. Staffed by twenty agents from the Ministry of Defense, National Police Agency, Fire Disaster and Management Agency and the Japan Coast Guard.
• Cabinet Intelligence Analysts (内閣情報分析官)
• Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (内閣衛星情報センター): Operates a network of surveillance satellites, such as the IGS-Optical and IGS-Radar series. As of June 2018, Japan has six functioning observation satellites in orbit.^[20] It was established in 2001 and has 320 personnel employed with at least 100 of them being imagery intelligence analysts.^[8] Tasked with obtaining and analyzing satellite imagery data.^[21] The Deputy Director position is filled by a senior officer from the NPA.^[22]
• Situation Center of Cabinet

• National Counterintelligence Center (カウンターインテリジェンスセンター): Coordinates government action based on the "Improvement of Counter-Intelligence Functions" policy.
• Cabinet Counter Terrorism Intelligence Coordination Center

Directors of Naichō

• Yoshio Omori (March 1993 - April 1997)^[23]
• Kazuhiro Sugita (January 2001 – April 2001)^[24]
• Toshinori Kanemoto (April 2001 – April 2006)^[25]
• Hideshi Mitani (April 2006 – April 2010)^[26]
• Shinichi Uematsu (April 2010 – December 2011)^[27]
• Shigeru Kitamura (December 2011 – September 2019)^[9][28]
• Hiroaki Takizawa (September 2019 – June 2023)^[29][30]
• Kazuya Hara (June 2023 – present)^[31]

References

Bibliography

• Davies, Philip H.J.; Gustafson, Kristian, eds. (2013). Intelligence Elsewhere: Spies and Espionage Outside the Anglosphere. Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1589019560.
• Dover, Robert; Goodman, Michael S.; Hillebrand, Claudia, eds. (2014). Routledge Companion to Intelligence Studies. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1589019560.
• Samuels, Richard J. (2019). Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1501741586.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Official website (in English)

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