Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office


The Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, also known as Naichō, is the national civilian intelligence agency under the Japanese Cabinet Secretariat tasked with collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world.
As a principal member of the Japanese intelligence community, the CIRO reports directly to the Prime Minister of Japan. Its operations are mandated through the Cabinet Law.
The agency is said to be equivalent to the American Central Intelligence Agency. Like most intelligence agencies in Japan, its personnel are usually recruited from other agencies. Around 100 out of 170 CIRO agents are from other agencies/ministries with top positions occupied by career police officers. 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".
WWW Official Site

History

The CIRO was created by the Allied Forces through the formation of the Prime Ministers's Research Office in April 1952 with Jun Murai as the first director in an attempt to replicate its structure after the CIA. But due to widespread opposition and the factionalism in the bureaucracy, this plan was discarded. The RO was placed under jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's office in 1957 and was known as the Cabinet Research Office. The CRO was later renamed as the CIRO in 1986.
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. It's located in the Prime Minister's residence.
In August 2007, discussions of intelligence reforms through the paper Improvement of Counter-Intelligence Functions resulted in the establishment of the Counterintelligence Center. 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.
In 2013, CIRO satellite imagery analysis was used to assist NGOs in Tacloban for reconstruction work in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
Since 2015, CIRO agents are usually recruited to be sent to the International Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Collection Unit.
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.
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.
On October 24, 2025, it's reported that CIRO would be potentially restructured. This would call for upgrading the CIRO and the Director of Cabinet Intelligence to the "National Intelligence Agency" and "Secretary General of the National Intelligence Agency".

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. Since then, there had been calls for greater accountability on Naichō.

Organization

According to its official web site, the organization of Naichō is as follows:
  • Director of Cabinet Intelligence
  • Deputy Director of Cabinet Intelligence
  • Cabinet Intelligence Officer
  • Divisions:
  • *Administration: Has Human Resources, Budget and academic experts.
  • *Home Affairs Division: Collect information based on domestic media, including newspapers, magazines and from news broadcasts.
  • *International Affairs Division: Collect information based on foreign media and broadcasts from another country, including CIRO agents based overseas.
  • *Economic Affairs Division: Studies domestic/international economic information.
  • Cabinet Intensive Information Center: Secures information and documents 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
  • Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center: Operates a network of surveillance satellites, such as the Information Gathering Satellite -Optical and IGS-Radar series. As of June 2018, Japan has six functioning observation satellites in orbit. It was established in 2001 and has 320 personnel employed with at least 100 of them being imagery intelligence analysts. Tasked with obtaining and analyzing satellite imagery data. The Deputy Director position is filled by a senior officer from the NPA.
  • Situation Center of Cabinet
  • National Counterintelligence Center: Coordinates government action based on the "Improvement of Counter-Intelligence Functions" policy.
  • Cabinet Counter Terrorism Intelligence Coordination Center

Directors of Naichō