‘Den of spies’: why has Japan been easy prey for Russian espionage, and what is Tokyo doing about it?

Postwar rules limit state collection of intelligence and prosecution of illegal operatives, but the government of Sanae Takaichi is beefing up its capabilities Japan admits growing need to counter espionage after Russian ‘den of spies’ report After eight decades as arguably the most welcoming environment for foreign spies in the democratic world, Japan – where espionage is technically not illegal in many cases – is racing to build its own spying and counterintelligence capabilities. Reports...

By Gavin Blair in Tokyo