The Security Council (安全保障会議, Anzen-Hoshō-Kaigi) of Japan was the nine-person national security council which advises the prime minister on national security and the military and deals with a wide spectrum of issues which indirectly affect Japan's broader interests, including basic national defense policy, the National Defense Program Outline, the outline on coordinating industrial production and other matters related to the National Defense Program Outline, including decisions on diplomatic initiatives and defense operations.
[1] Like its predecessor, the National Defense Council, the SC had problems with its mandate, structure, secretariat and functions, but it was considered an improvement for its ability to coordinate with parts of the Japanese governments by conducting half a dozen meetings frequently.
[2] It was created on July 1, 1986, to replace the NDC during Yasuhiro Nakasone's term as prime minister.
[5] In January 2007, it was reported that a new national security body would be set up to eventually replace the SC with the aim of speeding up decision making on national security matters.
[5] It was superseded by the Japanese National Security Council set up by Shinzo Abe in December 2013.