New Naicho chief: Japan's changing face of Intelligence

Hideshi Mitani, a North Korea counter-intelligence specialist, was the chief of the Japanese prime minister's intelligence agency, Cabinet Research Office, or known as the "Naicho", since appointed by ex Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2006. Contrary to uses in the intelligence circles, while being replaced, Mitani-san will stay at the Kantei in charge of the North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea secret services agents from the mid-70s' to the 80s'. Director of Cabinet Intelligence Hideshi Mitani is replaced by Shinichi Uematsu. In former assignments Shinichi Uematsu was in charge of Osaka prefectural police headquarters and a specialist of Japanese Government procurements.