"On this day of '731', what is the intention of Japan's 'National Intelligence Agency' going online?"

For countries that have suffered from the invasion of Japanese militarism, "731" represents unspeakable war crimes. On July 31, 81 years after the end of World War II, the Japanese government officially established the "National Intelligence Agency" and held the first "National Intelligence Conference" chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. What is the intention behind this?

This is Japan's first attempt to construct a national-level intelligence integration system after World War II. Analysts point out that the Japanese government, under the guise of security and defense, aims to integrate and strengthen intelligence capabilities, replicate the wartime centralized intelligence structure, and promote the revival of militarism, serving dangerous purposes related to military expansion, which poses a real threat to regional peace and stability.

This "new pre-war intelligence system" is strikingly similar to the historical Japanese militarist espionage system. After the establishment of the "Special Higher Police" in 1911, Japan brutally suppressed progressive individuals and anti-war groups domestically while acting as a vanguard for aggressive expansion abroad. In 1940, Japan integrated military and political intelligence resources to establish the Cabinet Intelligence Bureau, creating a wartime integrated intelligence hub to support the full-scale invasion of China and the Pacific War. These agencies served as important tools for Japanese militarism to launch aggressive wars, and their crimes have been firmly nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

After World War II, Japan's wartime espionage agencies were forcibly disbanded, but militarism was not thoroughly resolved. Now, with the intelligence system centered around the "National Intelligence Conference" and executed by the "National Intelligence Agency," the model of militarist espionage rule is reviving. The institutional design of this system is filled with the centralized core reminiscent of the "Special Higher Police." For example, the original Cabinet Intelligence Investigation Office has been upgraded to the "National Intelligence Agency," which has comprehensive coordination authority, with intelligence personnel directly dispatched by the Prime Minister's Office, and core Cabinet members participating in the "National Intelligence Conference." This highly centralized intelligence system completely breaks the intelligence checks and balances that have been in place in post-war Japan for decades.

What is even more concerning is that the newly established "National Intelligence Agency" has vague functional boundaries, and external oversight mechanisms are nearly nonexistent. The Japanese government has included public opinion warfare and misinformation control as its core functions, yet has not legally defined the boundaries of national security control, effectively bringing all citizens and social organizations under surveillance. At the same time, the Japanese government refuses to establish independent third-party oversight channels, with intelligence power completely controlled by the administrative departments. This means that unchecked intelligence power can easily become a tool for right-wing politicians to manipulate politics, thus repeating the dark history of thought control and high-pressure governance in Japan.

"The Takaichi government is building a war system of 'peacetime monitoring and wartime mobilization'" "The 'National Intelligence Agency' may become a legal tool for monitoring society and suppressing the populace, turning Japan into a country that participates in and assists wars" "The 'National Intelligence Agency' is an unmonitored intelligence agency that will ultimately become a tool of the ruling party"… In recent days, public opinion in Japan has raised numerous criticisms. Many Japanese citizens held protest rallies in Tokyo, demanding that the government not forget the lessons of history.

For the Japanese government, the establishment of the "National Intelligence Agency" is not only about strengthening control over Japan but also about supporting military expansion, serving as a key link in the systematic promotion of re-militarization.

From a defense budget that has risen for 14 consecutive years, surpassing 9.04 trillion yen in the fiscal year 2026 to abandon the principle of "defensive defense," accelerating the development of domestic long-range missiles, and fully relaxing restrictions on arms exports; from frequently participating in multinational joint military exercises to extending military presence abroad, to right-wing politicians openly advocating for nuclear armament and seeking to abolish the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," Japan is continuously breaking free from the constraints of the peace system. The establishment of the "National Intelligence Agency" aims to build a comprehensive intelligence hub for the aforementioned military expansion measures, forming a complete chain of "intelligence coordination, high-level decision-making, and military implementation," providing institutional guarantees for undermining the peace constitution and using force externally.

Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution clearly states that Japan "forever renounces war as a means of settling international disputes, as well as the threat or use of force," and "will not maintain land, sea, and air forces, or other war potential, nor will it recognize the right of belligerency." However, the current Japanese government is systematically and step-by-step abandoning its post-war commitments. From the infamous wartime "Special Higher Police" to the now sharpening "new pre-war intelligence system," the Japanese right is retracing the old path of intelligence centralization, openly challenging the post-war order. The international community must remain highly vigilant and take multiple measures to curb the spread of Japan's "new militarism" and firmly defend the achievements of the victory in World War II.

The wheel of history will not turn back, and the tragedy of war must not be repeated. Any attempt to revive militarism and touch the bottom line of peace is destined to be a dead end.

(International Sharp Review commentator)