Bill to Establish National Intelligence Council Clears Lower House

Apr 23, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan's House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to establish a National Intelligence Council aimed at strengthening the government's intelligence-gathering and analytical capabilities.

The proposed council, to be chaired by the prime minister, would serve as the command center for collecting and analyzing information to support government decision-making. A new National Intelligence Bureau would also be created as its secretariat.

At the insistence of opposition parties, a supplementary resolution attached to the government-sponsored bill includes provisions stating that personal information and privacy must not be unnecessarily infringed, and that intelligence gathering must not undermine political neutrality.

The bill was approved at a plenary session of the lower house with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin, as well as the Centrist Reform Alliance and the Democratic Party for the People.

With some opposition parties backing the measure, it is expected to clear the House of Councillors despite the ruling bloc's minority status there, paving the way for enactment during the current Diet session.

Source: TBS

Typhoon No. 30 Brings Violent Winds to Okinawa's Sakishima Islands

Typhoon No. 30 (Champa), a large and very powerful storm, was moving northwest south of Okinawa as of 9 p.m. on October 22, with the Sakishima Islands already experiencing violent winds ahead of the typhoon's expected closest approach from the afternoon of October 23 through the early hours of October 24, while an approaching autumn rain front threatens widespread heavy rainfall across western Japan.

PHP Security Flaw Forces Shutdowns Across Japan, Including Takaichi's Website

A critical security flaw discovered in PHP, a programming language used by an estimated 70% of the world's web systems, has triggered widespread disruptions across Japan since October 21, forcing banks, restaurant chains, government agencies and other businesses to suspend online services as a precaution against potential cyberattacks.

Cyberattacks Hit Japanese Police and Businesses

A growing wave of cyberattacks across Japan has raised concerns over the possible use of Chinese-developed artificial intelligence in hacking operations, with personal information belonging to tens of thousands of police employees potentially exposed and major companies forced to suspend online services, while cybersecurity experts warn that slow decision-making within Japanese organizations is allowing damage to spread.

H3 Rocket Successfully Launches Mars Moon Probe

Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the morning of October 20th, placing the probe into its planned orbit in the first stage of a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons and return them to Earth.

Japan Introduces Personalized Motorcycle License Plates

Motorcycle owners across Japan can now choose their preferred license plate numbers under a new system introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 19th, with popular numbers allocated by lottery and applications costing between 2,500 and 3,000 yen.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Politics NEWS

Debate on Nuclear-Powered Submarines Intensifies

Japan is considering whether to introduce nuclear-powered submarines as part of a broader review of its national defense strategy, with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi signaling on October 9 that the government would not rule out any options as it seeks to strengthen deterrence against growing regional threats, although legal restrictions, technological challenges, high costs, and demanding crew requirements present formidable obstacles.

Yokohama Elects New Mayor After Power Harassment Controversy

Atsumi Harasawa, a 59-year-old lawyer making her first bid for mayor, won Yokohama's mayoral election on October 18, defeating former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, whose resignation over allegations of workplace bullying prompted the vote.

Japan's Government Under Scrutiny Over Tax Cuts and Ministerial Scandal

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faced renewed political pressure on October 19 as fresh opinion polls showed declining public support following a ministerial resignation, while her government signaled it could issue additional bonds to finance a planned two-year consumption tax exemption on food beginning in April 2027.

Takaichi Forces Agriculture Minister Out

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has accepted the resignation of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana following controversial remarks about cutting government funding to municipalities that did not support him in an election, ending nearly two weeks of mounting criticism and leaving unresolved allegations of political pressure and election law violations.

Agriculture Minister Yana Resigns, Takaichi Accepts Responsibility

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the evening of October 14 over a controversy involving shuttle buses and other issues, prompting Takaichi to acknowledge her responsibility for appointing him and announce plans to name a successor on October 15.

Russia Releases Raid Footage of Japanese Journalist's Arrest

Russian authorities have arrested a Japanese journalist working for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on suspicion of espionage, releasing footage of a security operation and accusing the reporter of gathering military intelligence, in a case that threatens to further strain relations between Tokyo and Moscow.

Takaichi Calls Agriculture Minister's Budget Cut Remarks Inappropriate and Uncool

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered an unusually harsh rebuke of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on October 13, describing his claims about cutting road budgets in areas that failed to support him as "inappropriate" and "really lame," while signaling that she would reconsider whether he should remain in office as opposition lawmakers intensified their demands for his dismissal.

Farm Minister Faces Growing Distrust Over Budget Cut Remarks

Japan's Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana is facing mounting pressure to resign over remarks suggesting that government funding was reduced for municipalities that failed to support him in an election, with opposition parties considering a censure motion that could disrupt parliamentary deliberations on a consumption tax reduction bill.

< 2 3 4 5 >