National Intelligence Council: Boost Japan’s Capability to Counter Foreign Cognitive Warfare Campaigns

Editorial

16:36 JST, May 29, 2026

It can be said that a path has finally been cleared to reinforce Japan’s intelligence-gathering and analysis capabilities, which have been considered vulnerable compared to those of other nations, particularly other advanced nations.

The new organization to be established as the command center for intelligence gathering must strive to grasp suspicious activities by foreign forces and eliminate national security threats. Foreign manipulation is sometimes behind disinformation and misinformation on social media.

The bill to establish a national intelligence council has been enacted. This council will consist of the prime minister, who will serve as the chair, and relevant cabinet ministers, including the foreign minister, the defense minister and the chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission.

The Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office will be reorganized to form a national intelligence bureau to serve as the secretariat of the council. The bureau has been granted the authority to aggregate information related to diplomacy and national interests held by individual ministries and agencies.

The Cabinet already has the National Security Council, which is chaired by the prime minister and serves as the command center for foreign and security policies. Its secretariat, the National Security Secretariat, also handles important information.

Confusion of information between the soon-to-be established national intelligence bureau and existing organizations must not lead to erroneous policy decisions. Such things as turf battles among organizations should be avoided.

There have been many cases in which sensitive information regarding cutting-edge technologies has leaked overseas. In 2021, the Japanese government learned that a Chinese researcher who had returned home after studying hypersonic technology at a Japanese university was involved in weapons development using that technology.

In recent years, cognitive warfare tactics, in which opposing nations attempt to manipulate public opinion in each other’s countries, have been deployed.

Disinformation and misinformation can now easily be created by artificial intelligence, and there are many instances of it being spread by automated posting programs.

The national intelligence bureau needs to identify the sources and intentions of disinformation and misinformation, and spread awareness that such content is erroneous. It is also essential to foster specialized personnel who can counter technologies such as AI.

On the other hand, during deliberations on the bill, some opposition parties criticized it over the risk of infringing on the privacy of ordinary citizens by monitoring them.

In response, the prime minister repeatedly replied in the Diet that the government would investigate the activities of foreign forces only, and that Japanese civic groups and others would be excluded from the scope of such investigations.

It is only natural that some people harbor vague anxieties that their personal information might be threatened by the strengthening of the organization.

However, if intelligence gathering is neglected, sensitive information on equipment and other critical data held by the defense industry could also be compromised.

It is vital for the government to thoroughly explain the importance of intelligence gathering and analysis, and to continue its efforts to gain the understanding of the public.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 29, 2026)