Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office

Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO)
内閣情報調査室
Naikaku Jōhō Chōsashitsu (Naichō)
Seal of the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
Agency overview
Formed1986 (CIRO establishment)
Preceding agencies
  • Research Office (1952)[1]
  • Cabinet Research Chamber[2]/Cabinet Research Office (1957)[1][3]
JurisdictionGovernment of Japan
HeadquartersNagatacho, Tokyo, Japan
Employees170–175
Agency executive
  • Kazuya Hara, Director of Cabinet Intelligence
Parent agencyCabinet Secretariat
Websitewww.cas.go.jp/jp/gaiyou/jimu/jyouhoutyousa.html (in Japanese)

The Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (内閣情報調査室, Naikaku Jōhō Chōsashitsu),[4] also known as Naichō (内調),[5] is a Japanese intelligence agency under the Cabinet Secretariat responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information for the cabinet. As a principal member of the Japanese intelligence community, the CIRO reports directly to the Prime Minister. Its operations are mandated through the Cabinet Law.[6]

The agency is said to be equivalent to the American Central Intelligence Agency.[7] Like most intelligence agencies in Japan, its personnel are usually recruited from other agencies.[8] Around 100 out of 170 CIRO agents are from other agencies/ministries with top positions occupied by career police officers.[9] 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".[10]

  1. ^ a b "JAPAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY INFRASTRUCTURE - CAN TOKYO MEET WASHINGTON'S EXPECTATION?" (PDF). stimson.org. November 2008.
  2. ^ "Intelligence in the New Japan — Central Intelligence Agency". Archived from the original on 2008-03-12.
  3. ^ https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF300/CF351/RAND_CF351.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ "Names of Government Organizations and Positions" (PDF). Cabinet Secretariat. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  5. ^ "Japan to set up new spy agency". 21 February 2011.
  6. ^ "The Cabinet Law".
  7. ^ Andrew Oros (2008-06-09). "Japan's Growing Intelligence Capabilities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-20. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  8. ^ "Abe administration considering creating MI6-style spy agency". 6 March 2015.
  9. ^ Davis and Gustafson, page. 183.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference intercept was invoked but never defined (see the help page).