Japanese media expose: Japan has about 33,000 intelligence personnel
On May 5, the Sankei News revealed that Japan's total number of intelligence personnel is approximately 33,000, with over 60% (about 21,000) belonging to prefectural and municipal police forces under the jurisdiction of public security and foreign affairs departments, tasked with monitoring extremist organizations and preventing espionage.
Japan's intelligence system heavily relies on the United States; its external intelligence capabilities are weaker than those of the US and Russia, yet its scale surpasses that of the UK, France, and Germany. The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to establish a National Intelligence Agency in July and a Foreign Intelligence Agency by 2027, further strengthening its external intelligence gathering—this move has been interpreted as creating a "Japanese version of the CIA."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864392056714312/
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