Japan Vows Spy Crackdown After NYT 'Den of Spies' Report
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- Japan's government acknowledged a growing need to counter foreign intelligence after the NYT reported Russia had turned the country into a "den of spies" and a key source of weapons components.
- Chief government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said Tokyo must address the issue "with even greater rigour" and that parliament had approved legislation this year creating a new national body to coordinate intelligence activities.
- The NYT investigation cited Ukrainian government estimates that 90% of Russian missiles and drones contain Japanese components.
- The NYT report alleged that Russian intelligence operations in Japan were run by an operative working under cover at the Tokyo office of majority state-owned airline Aeroflot.
- Procurement networks reportedly use intermediary companies and third countries including Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka to route dual-use technology into Russia, since direct exports are restricted.
- Akihisa Shiozaki, an LDP lawmaker and former industrial espionage prosecutor, told the NYT "we have a sense of crisis about this situation."
- The report noted that hundreds of Russian spies expelled by Western countries after the 2022 Ukraine invasion relocated to Japan, exploiting its weak postwar espionage laws and thriving tech industry.
Why it matters: Japan's response so far is rhetorical — Kihara pledged 'greater rigour' and pointed to legislation for a new intelligence coordination body, but announced no new enforcement measures. The 90% figure for Japanese components in Russian missiles and drones makes clear the gap is material, and Japan's weak postwar espionage laws remain the vulnerability.
