Under the initiative of the Prime Minister's Office, the government is moving to establish a national security council that will formulate Japan's diplomatic and security strategies. On the basis of a Feb. 27 report submitted by an expert panel, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping to inaugurate the council in April 2008, after the current Diet session enacts a package of related bills.
The report said the NSC should be established to "create a system for formulating diplomatic and national security policies from comprehensive and strategic viewpoints."
Crisis management, especially a quick response to an armed attack, will be among the important functions. The council will seek to come up with comprehensive policy measures for the Cabinet, ending the problems of government compartmentalization.