Japans police system

In japan, police system generally enjoys wide community

support and respect. The system is called Keisatsu Seido.
Concerning the historical development, during the Edo period-we
are talking about the years 1600-1868 here, the Tokugawa
Shogunate, developed elaborate police system based on town
magistrate who held samurai status and served as chiefs of
police, prosecutors and criminal judges. The system was extended
by citizens group such as five-family associations-Gonin Gumi.
Historical background
There have been two formative periods in the development of
the modern Japanese police, the Meiji restoration, especially
the years from 1872 to 1889, and the allied occupation from 1945
to
1952.the
first
full-time
professional
policemen
were
appointed in japan in 1871; three years later the KeihoryoPolice Bureau was established in the ministry of home affairsnaimusho. this system remained in force until 1947, when it was
totally reorganized by the occupational authorities after the
end of the World war II.
The dual system of municipal police and rural police was
established and the two forces were integrated into a central
police forces were integrated into a central police force under
the name of Todo Fukeu Keisatru-Prefectural police. The public
safety commission (PSC) was established as the principal
administrative agency with the right to intervene in prefectural
police matters. At the same time, the political neutrality and
democratic administration of the police force were clearly
defined and guaranteed.
Powers and functions
The duties of the police in Japan are stipulated by the
police law as protecting the life, person and property of an
individual citizens, controlling traffic and also maintaining
public safety and orders. In order to carry out these duties,
police engage in various activities. The main subject of the
police duties is the control of crimes. In addition, the police
attend to a wide range of administrative duties to maintain
public peace and order.
Usually, case investigated by the police is handed over to
the public prosecutors office, and public prosecutors decided
whether to prosecute or not. The right of investigation is held

also by public prosecutors, just like the police. In actual

practice,
however,
prosecutors
basically
confine
their
activities
to
sustaining
prosecution
and
conduct
only
supplementary investigation.
Organizational structure
The present police law stipulates that the fulfillment of
the responsibilities of the police such as protecting the life,
person and property of individual personsand maintaining
public peace and order be collectively consigned to prefectural
governments. It also provides that the national government set
up its own police organization to control and direct the
prefectural police regarding certain police duties in accordance
with their specific national character.
Also, as in the case of the old police law, public safety
commissions are established at both national and prefectural
levels. The three main law enforcement organizations in Japan
are national Public Safety Commission (NPSC)-Koan Linkai under
the irect authority of the prime minister, the National police
Agency (NPA)-keisatsucho headed by a commissioner general, and
prefectural police, each with the police stations-keisatsu sho
or in the case of urban area, city police departments-shi
keisatsubu.
Recruitment and selection
Recruitment procedures at the National Police Agency (NPA)
differ from those of the prefectural police headquarter (PHP).
The NPA recruits from those who have passes the National Public
Service Category I or II Examination conducted by the National
Personnel Authority (NPA). It also recruits from among those
recommended by PPH as the excellent police officers, based on
their police career, job performance, and working record. These
officers assigned either to the NPA or a key members of PPH.
PPH applicants take a rigorous examination administered by
PPA. In 1997, nationwide, 133,000 took the examination only
8,300
or
6.24%
passed
the
said
examination.
Different
examination s are given to high school and college graduates,
and each is recruited separately. PPH personnel interview those
who pass the applicants ability and adaptability to the rigor
of police duties. University graduates account for almost 68% of
the successful applicants.
Education and training

Education and training is highly stressed in police

recruitment and promotion. Entrance to the force is determined
by examinations administered by each prefecture.
Examinees are
divided into two groups; upper-secondary-school graduates and
university graduates.
Recruits underwent rigorous training-one year for uppersecondary school graduates and six months for university
graduates-at the residential police academy attached to the
prefectural headquarters.
Newly recruited prefectural police officers undergo an
initial training program consisting of pre-service, on-the-job,
and comprehensive training course.
They first attend a ten-month pre service training course
at the PPFs school. During this course, they acquire the basic
attitude, readiness and alertness essential to police duties.
They
also
learn
basic
knowledge
and
skills.
Following
graduations, they are assigned to a front-line police station
for eight months for on-the-job training at a police box.
Police personnel strength
The personnel of the NPA and the prefectural police forces
are composed of police officers, members of the Impartial Guard,
and civilian employees such as clerical workers and technical
engineers. All these personnel work as one body to perform
police duties. On the basis of the present authorized nationwide police strength, the ratio of police to population is one
police officer to about 555 citizens. The burden is considerably
heavy as compared with that of Western countries.
Rank classification
Police officers are divided into nine ranks, namely,
Keishi-Sokan-superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police
Departments,
Keishi-Kan-Superintendent
Supervisors,
Keishi-cho-Chief
Superintendent,Keishi-Sei-Senior
Superintendent,Keishi-Superintendent,Keibu-police
Inspector,
Keibu-Ho-Assistant
Police
Insoector,
Junsa-Bucho-police
Sergeant, and Junsa-policeman.
The commissions-General at the NPA also has the status of a
police officer and functionally holds the highest position in
the Japanese police forces but he does not have a police rank.
In addition to the ranks mentioned above, there is the position

of Junsa-Cho. This position is awarded to Junsa, who has a

wealth of working experiences and whose performance of duties is
very good. The policemen awarded the position of Junsa-Cho are
assigned to the task of giving on-the-job training to their
subordinates and of coordinating actual police duties.
Uniform Regulations
For much of the twentieth century up to the mid-1990s,
police officers wore a formal work uniform consisting of a tunic
or Ike jacket with polished silver buttons, and trousers with a
sewn in truncheon pocket. No stab vest was worn and much less
equipment was carried than is today. Following concerns about
the police uniforms safety it was suggested that the uniform
should be changed. Formal uniform comprises an open-necked
tunic-with or without an attached belt, depending on the force
and rank of the officer, and trousers or skirt, worn with a
white or light blue shirt and black tei-usually clip-on, so it
cannot be used to strangle the wearer.
Police Accountability
In the present system of Japanese criminal justice there
are no mechanisms of accountability or transparency that perform
the requisites checking function. To make matters worse, few
scholars or journalists even attempt to make police performance
a police issue. As one of this countrys few police analysts has
observed, the dogs that should be watching the police seldom
make a sound.
Finally, the weak formal controls in japan are little
supplemented by journalistic, scholarly, or other outside
scrutiny. If the question is who controls Japanese police, then
the answer is simply that the police are totally autonomous in a
formal organizational sense; they control themselves and are
ultimately responsible only to the head of the National Police
Agency.

Japan police
It is a country with an interesting low crime rate where
the crime rates are not necessarily that low, but stable and
resistant to fluctuating spikes. Some of the characteristics of
this country include community policing, a patriarchal family
system, the importance of higher education, and the way
businesses serve as surrogate families.
Asian societies are also shame-based rather than guiltybased as western societies are.
Law enforcement in japan
Is provided by the prefectural police under the oversight
of the National Police Agency or NPA.
The NPA is headed by the National Public Safety Commission
thus ensuring that Japans police are an a political body
and free of direct central government executive control.
They are checked by an independent judiciary and monitored
by a free and active press.
HISTORY
POLICE SYSTEM
The
centralized
police
system
steadily
acquired
responsibilities, until it controlled almost all aspects of
daily life, including fire prevention and mediation of
labor disputes. The system regulated public health,
business, factories, and construction and it issued permits
and licenses.
The Peace Preservation Law
of 1925 gave police the
authority to arrest people for wrong thoughts.
Special Higher Police (Tokko) were created to regulate the
content of motion pictures, political meetings, and
election campaigns. The Imperial Japanese Armys military
police (KEMPEITAI)
and
the Imperial Japanese Navys
(TOKEITAI), operating under their respective services and
the justice and home ministries aided the civilian police
in limiting proscribed political activity.
After the Manchurian Incident of 1931, military police
assumed greater authority, leading to friction with their
civilian counterparts. After 1937 police directed business
activities for the war effort, mobilized labor, and
controlled transportation.

th

The Shogun ruler of 17

century Feudal Japan devised an
elaborate police system in each castle town had a military
Samurai Warrior who served as town magistrate, judge and
chief of police. He appointed other sword-carrying samurai
(yoriki and doshin) to serve as a patrolling police force.
December 8,1941 the first element of Japanese Imperial
Army entered Manila.
Japanese military police (kempetai) took chief torres in
custody and rounded the member of the manila police and
ordered them to cooperate.
The manila police was rename metropolitan constabulary
under the supervision of Bureau of constabulary.
The manila police department was reconstituted and placed
under the American control
Col. Marcus Ellis Jones become the chief of police upon the
liberation from the Japanese.
Koban
They form the first line of police response to the publc.
Koban system is composed of about 6500 police boxes (koban)
and about 7600 residential police boxes (chuzaisho).
Koban are staffed by a relatively small number of police
officers (usually 3-5 officers); a chizaisho is usually
staffed by a single officer. About 20 percent of the total
police forces officers are assigned to koban.
Staffed by officers working in eight-hour shift, they serve
as a base for foot patrols and usually have both sleeping
and eating facilities for officers on duty but not on
watch. In rural areas, residential offices usually are
staffed by one police officer who resides in adjacent
family quarters.
These officers endeavour to become a part of the community,
and their families of ten aid in performing official tasks.
Police officer ranks
Commission General (keisatsu-cho chokan)
Superintendent General (keishi-shokan)
Superintendent Supervisor (keishi-kan)
Chief Superintendent (keishi-cho)
Senior Superintendent (keishi-sei)
Superintendent (keishi)
Police Inspector or Captain (keibu)
Assistant Police Inspector or Lieutenant (keibu-ho)
Police Sergeant (junsa-bucho)

Senior Police Officer or Captain (junsa-cho)

Police Officer, old Patrolman (junsa)
Historical secret police organization
Tokko
- (Investigated and controlled political groups and
ideologies deemed to be a threat to public order)
Kempeitai - (Military Police of the Imperial Japanese Army)
Tokeitai - (Mlitary Police of the Imperial Japanese Navy)
External links
NPA Official Site (Japanese)
NPA Official Site (English)
Imperial Guard Headquarters
Regional Bureaus
Kanto Regional Police Bureaus
Chubu Regional Police Bureaus
Kinki Regional Police Bureaus
Chugoku Regional Police Bureaus
Shikoku Regional Police Bureaus
Kyushu Regional Police Bureaus
Police communication bureaus
Hokkaido
tokyo