TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is considering creating a new ministerial post to oversee intelligence, a senior government official said Tuesday, as part of efforts to bolster its ability to centralize information amid an increasingly complex security environment.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara is expected to concurrently serve in the new post, the official said. Kihara already handles questions on intelligence activities in parliament.
The move comes as the government, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, plans to establish a new national intelligence secretariat as early as July by upgrading the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The upgrade was among the pledges the ruling Liberal Democratic Party agreed to pursue with the Japan Innovation Party in forming a coalition, which paved the way for LDP chief Takaichi to become prime minister in late October.
Kihara told a regular press conference on Tuesday that strengthening Japan's intelligence capabilities by integrating information collected across ministries and analyzing it will help the government acquire "high quality information in a timely manner for apt decision-making."
The envisioned body would be ranked on par with the National Security Secretariat, which coordinates foreign and defense policies related to national security, according to the agreement between the LDP and JIP.
But while the government is eager to put forward legislation on strengthening intelligence capabilities, there is growing concern that intensified activities could lead to greater monitoring of citizens.