Japan has acknowledged the need to strengthen its counter-espionage capabilities following a New York Times investigation that described the country as a "den of spies" for Russia. Chief government spokesperson Minoru Kihara stated on Monday that Tokyo must address the issue with "even greater rigour" amid a rapidly changing security environment.
NYT Investigation Reveals Russian Intelligence Operations
The New York Times report, published on Sunday, detailed how Russian intelligence operatives have been working undercover at the Tokyo office of Aeroflot, the majority state-owned Russian airline. The investigation claimed that Russia has exploited Japan's weak espionage laws to turn the country into a key hub for intelligence gathering and procurement of dual-use technology essential for its war in Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian government estimates cited in the report, 90% of Russian missiles and drones contain Japanese components. To circumvent direct export restrictions, Russian procurement networks use intermediary companies and third countries such as Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka to move components into Russia.
Japan's Response and Legislative Measures
Kihara declined to comment directly on the NYT's findings but emphasized the growing need to counter foreign intelligence activities that threaten Japan's national security. He noted that Japan's parliament recently approved legislation to create a new national body to coordinate its fragmented intelligence efforts.
"We recognise that in a rapidly changing security environment there is a growing need to counter foreign intelligence activities – such as the acquisition of critical information – that threaten Japan's national security," Kihara told reporters.
Context of Russian Spy Expulsions
The report highlighted that after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western countries expelled hundreds of Russian spies. Many of these operatives relocated to Japan, attracted by its flourishing tech industry and weak espionage laws, which are partly a legacy of post-World War II constraints.
Akihisa Shiozaki, a lawmaker in the governing Liberal Democratic party and a former lawyer who prosecuted industrial espionage cases, expressed concern: "We have a sense of crisis about this situation," he told the NYT.
