The Japanese Intelligence Community: Eastern Practices Seen Through Western Eyes

The main aim of this thesis was to take a critical stance towards the Intelligence Cycle as the foremost model on intelligence processes. The research question was: To what extent can the Intelligence Cycle, as a model of analysis, account for non-Western intelligence organisational structures, such as the Japanese intelligence community? The conclusion of the thesis is that the Intelligence Cycle cannot fully account for non-Western intelligence organisational structures, and specifically that of Japan. This is because of several assumptions that emerged when applying the Intelligence Cycle to Japan: First, that foreign and domestic security scopes cannot be consolidated into one organisation, ignoring the Japanese practice of 'amakudari'. Second, the assumption of inevitable competition between similar intelligence organisations. Third, the lack of a modernised intelligence arsenal. Lastly, the assumption that Japanese intelligence personnel is not trained appropriately, ignoring...Show moreThe main aim of this thesis was to take a critical stance towards the Intelligence Cycle as the foremost model on intelligence processes. The research question was: To what extent can the Intelligence Cycle, as a model of analysis, account for non-Western intelligence organisational structures, such as the Japanese intelligence community? The conclusion of the thesis is that the Intelligence Cycle cannot fully account for non-Western intelligence organisational structures, and specifically that of Japan. This is because of several assumptions that emerged when applying the Intelligence Cycle to Japan: First, that foreign and domestic security scopes cannot be consolidated into one organisation, ignoring the Japanese practice of 'amakudari'. Second, the assumption of inevitable competition between similar intelligence organisations. Third, the lack of a modernised intelligence arsenal. Lastly, the assumption that Japanese intelligence personnel is not trained appropriately, ignoring the practice of 'amakudari' and 'tenkin'.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

The Japanese Intelligence Community: Eastern Practices Seen Through Western Eyes