Japan, Britain to Boost Cyber Cooperation to Share Threat Info as Takaichi, Starmer Meet in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:30 JST, January 31, 2026

Japan and Britain will establish a bilateral strategic cyber partnership at talks between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Tokyo on Saturday, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The partnership will serve as a comprehensive cooperation framework in the cyber field and mainly focus on sharing intelligence gained from information gathering and analysis on cyber threats to improve defense and deterrence capabilities against attacks from foreign forces, according to government sources.

This is Starmer’s first visit to Japan since taking office in July 2024, and the first visit by a British prime minister in three years.

The two governments agreed on the Japan-U.K. Cyber Partnership between their leaders in 2023 and have since deepened working-level cooperation. Japan places importance on cybersecurity collaboration with Britain in addition to the United States and Australia. Tokyo will elevate its cooperative relationship with London during Starmer’s visit.

The new comprehensive partnership will deepen cooperation primarily in the following three areas: detecting and preventing cyber threats through intelligence sharing; strengthening the cyber resilience of society as a whole, including critical infrastructure such as water, power and transportation; and developing cyber personnel and new technologies.

In the key area of intelligence sharing, authorities from both countries will share information on cyberattackers’ methods and targets to strengthen defenses. The two governments also plan to lead international efforts toward cyber deterrence.

The government is working to drastically enhance its response capabilities through legislation related to so-called active cyber defense enacted last May. This includes strengthening public-private partnerships, monitoring communications data and conducting intrusions and neutralization operations against attack sources.

Takaichi is also proceeding with efforts to reinforce intelligence capabilities. Britain has powerful intelligence agencies and extensive experience in cyber countermeasures against countries like Russia and China. Both the Japanese and British governments concluded that joint efforts would yield significant synergistic effects.

Last year, Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. suffered a cyberattack that caused disruptions, including suspension of beer and other beverage shipments. Japan will leverage this experience to strengthen countermeasures through bilateral cooperation.

At Saturday’s talks, Takaichi and Starmer were expected to agree on advancing cooperation in security areas, including the joint development of next-generation fighter jets by Japan, Britain and Italy, as well as economic security matters such as defense industries and critical minerals.