Law enforcement in Japan
[2] The Japanese government established a European-style civil police system in 1874, spearheaded by the efforts of statesman Kawaji Toshiyoshi, under the centralized control of the Police Bureau within the Home Ministry to put down internal disturbances and maintain order during the Meiji Restoration.
By the 1880s, the police had developed into a nationwide instrument of government control, providing support for local leaders and enforcing public morality.
In rural areas especially, the police had great authority and were accorded the same mixture of fear and respect as the village head.
The centralized police system steadily acquired responsibilities, until it controlled almost all aspects of daily life, including fire prevention and mediation of labor disputes.
Special Higher Police (Tokko) were created to regulate the content of motion pictures, political meetings, and election campaigns.
After the Manchurian Incident of 1931, military police assumed greater authority, leading to friction with their civilian counterparts.
After Japan's surrender in 1945, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers retained the prewar police structure, but viewed their organization as undemocratic.
Contrary to Japanese proposals for a strong, centralized force to deal with postwar unrest, the police system was decentralized.
About 1,600 independent municipal forces were established in cities, towns, and villages with 5,000 inhabitants or more, and a National Rural Police was organized by prefecture.
The revised Police Law of 1954, still in effect in the 1990s, preserves some strong points of the postwar system, particularly measures ensuring civilian control and political neutrality, while allowing for increased centralization.
According to statistics of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, among the 192 member states of the UN, and among the countries reporting statistics of criminal and criminal justice, the incidence rate of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, rape, and robbery is very low in Japan.
The agency is headed by a Commissioner General who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission with the approval of the Prime Minister.
[15] The Central Office includes the Secretariat, with divisions for general operations, planning, information, finance, management, and procurement and distribution of police equipment.
On the other hand, the MPD Superintendent General represents not only the highest rank in the system but also assignment as head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
They are responsible for such matters as forest preservation, narcotics control, fishery inspection, and enforcement of regulations on maritime, labor, and mine safety.
Importing or using any type of narcotics is illegal and there is generally no leniency; for example, the possession of cannabis has a jail sentence of up to five years for the first offense.
