Japan plans to set up cyber defense hub near Defense Ministry around 2032

The Japanese government is set to establish a cyber defense hub adjacent to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, aiming to enhance coordination among relevant agencies, sources close to the matter revealed on Tuesday. With the intention to counteract the escalating threat of increasingly sophisticated and intricate cyberattacks, the government plans to commence designing the specialized hub in the fiscal year 2027 and complete its construction by around 2032, according to the sources.

The enactment of a law on active cyber defense in May of the preceding year granted the government the authority to continuously monitor communication data under specific conditions and preemptively neutralize hostile servers to thwart potential cyberattacks. The proposed hub will accommodate units tasked with neutralizing cyber threats, including the National Police Agency's National Cyber Department and a cyber defense unit belonging to the Self-Defense Forces, the sources disclosed.

A senior Defense Ministry official expressed optimism about the hub's establishment, stating that it is anticipated to bolster security and efficiency. The facility will be erected on land previously occupied by a riot squad building owned by the Metropolitan Police Department, as per the sources. The ministry has sought funding for the facility in the fiscal 2027 budget.

As per the active cyber defense measures, police are initially responsible for neutralizing an attacker's server, while the Self-Defense Forces will intervene at the prime minister's discretion if an incident is deemed particularly sophisticated, organized, and premeditated. Although full implementation is slated for 2027, the government announced in March that neutralization procedures can commence from October 1.

According to the government, approximately 99 percent of communications linked to cyberattacks detected in 2025 originated overseas. These attacks have impacted diverse Japanese entities, encompassing a prominent beverage manufacturer, a telecommunications company, a major retail chain, and a healthcare institution.