Jōhōgumi

The Royal Special Intelligence Group (王立特別情報組 Oritsu Tokubetsu Jōhō Gumi), commonly known simply as the Jōhōgumi, is the primary foreign intelligence agency of Chisei and part of the Chiseian intelligence community. It is tasked mainly with the covert collection of overseas (HUMINT) in support of Chiseian national security. The Director of the agency is responsible to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Chancellor of Chisei.

Originally formed as the Shinsengumi (新撰組 'New Selected Group') in 1858, the agency was initially tasked with gathering intelligence on rebel figures in the colonies of the Chiseian empire. However, it's role was greatly broadened as a consequence of the First Escar-Varunan War, and it officially adopted it's current name around 1921. The Jōhōgumi was one of few agencies to remain relatively unscathed by the political purges of the subsequent Conciliar Government, and it continued to expand going into the Second Escar-Varunan War, where it played a major role in organising partisan resistance against Yamatai and securing intelligence that contributed to several major military victories for the allies.

The existence of the Jōhōgumi would not be officially recognised until 1973, when the organisation was established on a statutory basis by the Intelligence Collection Act 1973.

Unlike it's sister agencies, the Kini'ei and the National Security Agency, the Jōhōgumi is exclusively authorised for operations against persons outside Chiseian territory, and does not operate within Chisei.