Secret Japanese Societies played an important role in Japan's intelligence networks. Back in 1894, the Japanese Army Intelligence was supplemented by the Black Ocean Society during the war against China. The Black Ocean Society was an ultra nationalist group. The purpose of the Black Ocean Society was to expand Japan's influence overseas and collect Intelligence from China, Korea, Manchuria and Russia. 

The Secret Societies relied heavily on their clannish brotherhoods for secrecy and survival.

Some of the Japanese Secret Societies are as follows:-

- The Black Ocean Society
- The Black Dragon Society
- The Dark Ocean Society (Genyosha)
- Yakuza
- Yamaguchi-gumi
- Sumyoshi-rengo (in Tokyo)
- Inagawa-kai (In Yokahama)
- Ichiwa-kai (in Kobe)