Japanese Police: From Kōban to the National Agency
The Japanese police is organized on two levels: the National Police Agency (警察庁) coordinates policy, while public order is maintained by 47 prefectural police headquarters, with Tokyo having a special Metropolitan Police Department. On the streets, instead of large stations, there were 6,250 交番 kōban posts as of 2022, where several officers take shifts. The famous "99 percent" is not the clearance rate but the share of guilty verdicts among cases that reach court.
Let's break down why the Japanese police is not a single vertical but two levels: the agency sets the rules, while the prefectural headquarters do the work, and Tokyo has had a special status since 1874. We'll look at how a kōban on the corner differs from a rural chūzaisho and why the system was even adopted abroad. We'll examine what the "99 percent" actually means and how long suspects are held in custody before indictment. Along the way, we'll look at the character 警, with which the word for "police" begins.
Not a Single Vertical: The Agency and 47 Prefectural Headquarters
The Japanese police is a two-level system. The National Police Agency (警察庁, Keisatsuchō) does not patrol the streets itself: it sets policy, establishes standards, and coordinates work, while ordinary public order is maintained by 47 police headquarters — one for each prefecture. Formally, each reports to its own local public safety commission, but the agency effectively directs their work through the appointment of senior officers and budget allocation.
How the Tokyo Headquarters Differs from Prefectural Ones
Tokyo has not an ordinary headquarters but the Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁, Keishichō). The special status of the Tokyo police dates back to 1874, when, on the proposal of official Kawaji Toshiyoshi, it was removed from the general order and placed directly under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Today the headquarters is headed by the 警視総監 (keishisōkan) — the only rank in the country higher than the chief of any other prefectural headquarters.
交番: A Corner Booth Instead of a Large Station
交番 (kōban) is not a large station but a small post on a neighborhood corner, where several officers from the local station take shifts. The system of such posts dates back to 1874, and the current name 交番 was established in 1908; as of April 1, 2022, there were 6,250 of them nationwide. Besides catching offenders, the usual work of a kōban is to give directions and take reports of lost items: it is there, not at a large station, that people come with such questions first.
| Feature | 交番 (kōban) | 駐在所 (chūzaisho) |
|---|---|---|
| Where | In the city, on a neighborhood corner | In rural areas |
| Who is on duty | Several officers in shifts | One officer permanently |
| How they live | Changes according to schedule, goes home | Lives at the post with family |
| What they do | Patrol, take reports, catch offenders | The same plus the role of neighbor for the whole area |
Why the Police Box Became an Export Commodity
The kōban system has been adopted abroad at various times. In Indonesia and the Brazilian state of São Paulo, such posts were introduced following the Japanese example — in São Paulo since 2005. The Singapore police trained cadets differently: they were sent for internships directly to a Tokyo kōban at the Sukiyabashi intersection near the Tsukiji police station, so that future officers could see the system from the inside rather than from a description.
警察 in Parts: To Warn and to Discern
警 — значение: to warn, to guard, to watch over — онъёми: ケイ — кунъёми: いまし.める — 19 штрих(ов). 警 — "to warn, to guard": this character begins the word 警察, "police," and ranks from 警部 (keibu), "inspector," up to 警視総監 — the chief of the metropolitan headquarters.
What the Sign on the Booth and the Car Looks and Sounds Like
警察 is read keisatsu and is made up of 警 — "to warn, to guard" — and 察 — "to discern, to distinguish." On the kōban itself, a separate sign reads 交番, and on a patrol car, large characters 警察 are on the side along with the word パトカー (patokā, short for the English patrol car). The number itself is written in digits — 110番 — but it is not read digit by digit; it is read "hyakutōban," that is, "one hundred tenth number"; it was introduced in the country on October 1, 1948.
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 警察 | keisatsu · keisatsu | Police |
| 交番 | kōban · kōban | Police box |
| 警察官 | keisatsukan · keisatsukan | Police officer |
| 110番 | hyakutōban · hyakutōban | Police emergency number |
| パトカー | patokā · patokā | Patrol car |
Write 警 along the guides — the character for "to warn," with which the word 警察, "police," begins.
What Lies Behind the Famous "99 Percent"
Why "99 Percent" Is Not About Clearance Rate
The figure of 99 percent, usually called the "clearance rate," is in fact the share of guilty verdicts among cases that reach court: according to the 2024 White Paper on Crime, it was about 99.78 percent for 2023. It is explained by a second figure that is usually forgotten: prosecutors bring fewer than a third of cases to court. Charges were filed against 271,459 suspects out of 1,371,637 processed — that is 27.1 percent, while 739,937 cases, or 53.9 percent, were dropped without trial.
The path to the trial itself is long: a suspect can be held in custody before indictment for a maximum of about 23 days. Of these, up to 72 hours are spent on the police and prosecutor deciding to pass the case on. Then the prosecutor may request detention for 10 days with an extension of up to another 10 days, and only after that is it decided whether to indict or not.
FAQ
- How is the Japanese police organized?
- The Japanese police is a two-level system. The National Police Agency (警察庁) does not patrol the streets itself: it sets policy and coordinates the work of 47 prefectural police headquarters, while in Tokyo there is a special Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) with a status dating back to 1874.
- What is a kōban and how does it differ from an ordinary police station?
- 交番 (kōban) is a small post on a neighborhood corner where several officers take shifts, unlike a large station. As of April 1, 2022, there were 6,250 such posts nationwide. Besides catching offenders, the usual work at a kōban is to give directions and take reports of lost items.
- Is it true that the Japanese police solve 99 percent of crimes?
- No: the figure of 99 percent is not the clearance rate but the share of guilty verdicts among cases that reach court: according to the 2024 White Paper on Crime, it was about 99.78 percent for 2023. The point is that prosecutors bring fewer than a third of cases to court — 27.1 percent out of 1,371,637 processed, while the rest are dropped without trial.
- How long can a person be held in custody before indictment?
- A suspect can be held in custody before indictment for a maximum of about 23 days. Up to 72 hours are spent on the police and prosecutor deciding to pass the case on. Then the prosecutor requests detention for 10 days with the possibility of an extension of another 10 — a total of up to 20 days beyond the first three.
- Why do Japanese police officers ride bicycles?
- The bicycle is a common means of transport for a kōban: an officer on duty can get around the narrow streets of the neighborhood faster than by car, and it is part of everyday patrolling and house visits in the area (巡回連絡), not a separate feature. When there is an urgent call, it is often a bicycle or motorcycle that leaves the kōban fastest.
- How is the word "police" written in Japanese?
- "Police" in Japanese is 警察 (keisatsu): 警 means "to warn, to guard," 察 means "to discern, to distinguish." The same character 警 appears at the beginning of the word 警察官 — "police officer," while at a local police post a separate word is written — 交番.
Sources
Updated: 2026-09-22