Japanese Version of CIA

The lesson for ordinary people at the kidnapping of a Japanese journalist by Islamic State was danger of reaching terrorists. For government of Japan, it was the failure of collecting information about the terrorist organization. To compensate it, the government is considering establishment of new spy agency. Japanese government ignores a fact that it was impossible even for United States, with the world strongest spy agency, could not save the lives of the Americans. Another fact was that it was a failure of Japanese diplomats to collect information through ordinary activities in foreign countries. The political leaders attribute all of their failures to governmental structure.

After the Japanese hostages were killed, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised a committee to verify the incident. Most people expected that the committee was to review the process of saving the hostages and make clear who was responsible for. Against that assumption, the outcome was not about responsibility of the government, but structural review to reinforce governmental power.

There are nine agencies in Japanese government to deal with intelligence in overseas. New agency is supposed to integrate them, resembling the discussion in U.S., when it established Director of Homeland Security. But the crucial point in U.S. was whether the related governmental organizations, Departments of State and Defense, Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation, would cooperate each other beyond their borders. It is Japan that apparently has higher walls between ministries than in U.S.

The government of Japan has already established an organization called Terrorism Response Team in National Police Agency after an incident of terrorists’ occupation of Japanese Embassy in Peru in 1996. But, Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not cooperative with the team even in the time of September Eleventh attack in U.S., to disappointment for political leaders. Struggle over hegemony to deal with foreign intelligence will continue even after new agency will be settled.

Basically, what is new agency doing for intelligence? It is difficult for Japanese agents to make hidden operations in Middle East countries. For them, it is easier to take secret actions in Asian countries, in China for example. Is Japan ready to get involved in all-out intelligence war with China? It is unlikely. As a result of elimination, true purpose of intelligence agency has to be expanding governmental power and sneaking into Japanese people’s life.