The Diet started deliberations Friday on a bill to establish a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council, an entity designed to enhance the government's ability to deal with national security and manage crises.
The council, slated to be launched in January if the bill is passed in time, will be designed to process information from related ministries before it is presented to the prime minister. It should allow the Cabinet Office to have a more centralized role in defense and crisis management.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe believes that enhancing information flow and its analysis is necessary for the Cabinet to better respond to security matters. It will also bolster coordination with foreign counterparts such as the United States amid the more volatile security situation in Asia.