Special Feature: Progress and Future Prospects Regarding Measuresagainst Organized Crime
Preface

The topic of the Special Feature in the

For example, small to mid-sized organizations

White Paper on Police 2015 is “The Progressof Boryokudan and subordinate groups at theand Future Prospects of Measures against

bottom of large Boryokudan hierarchies are

Organized Crime”.

suffering from a shortage of funds and

The number of confirmed criminal cases inJapancontinually

increasedfrommembers

1996

that

supportBoryokudan.

Additionally, both cleared cases of crimes

through 2002, when it reached 2.85 million,

committed

byvisitors

to

Japan

and

the largest number since the end of World

international criminals have been decreasing.
On the other hand, criminal organizations

War II.
The situation of public security worsened atcontinue to pose serious threats to Japanesethat time due in part to the escalation in thesociety as they continually alter their activities

seriousness of the crimes committed byfor the purpose of evading police controls andcriminal groups of visiting foreigners, crimes

achieving economic benefits in a shrewd andrelated to the smuggling and trafficking of

efficient manner. The core bodies of major

drugs and firearms, and crimes committed by

Boryokudan organizations, in particular, havedomestic organized crime groups such as

been increasingly concealing their actual

Boryokudan.

activities by exploiting affiliate corporations
and collaborators, while diversifying their

With a view to controlling organized crime,
the police established the Organized Crime

funding

Department at the National Police Agency

development of the economy and society.

(NPA)

Boryokudan is therefore likely to maintain a

in

April

2004

and

have

been

strengthening measures against organizedsolidcrime. The measures that the police have been

network.

activities

economic

inresponse

foundation

and

to

the

human

Demand for stimulants and other drugs aretaking include:○ Strategic crackdowns on organized crime

persisting, and these drugs are supplied tothroughdrug users illegally and regularly. Recent newcollecting,aggregating

andanalyzing relevant information;issues include incidents and accidents caused○ Promoting activities for eliminatingby people under the influence of Dangerous

Boryokudan and the funding sources ofDrugs (NPS: New Psychoactive Substances),

criminal organizations, andand special fraud committed by ingeniously○ Border control in cooperation withorganized groups. These issues need to beagencies concerned of Japan and othersolved urgently.
In order to weaken and eliminate criminal

countries.

organizations as well as to eradicate organized
The recent situation concerning organizedcrime, it is necessary to arrest not only

crime activity indicates that these efforts bymembers of subordinate groups but also thethe police have resulted in positive outcomes.

leaders and major executives of criminal-1-

organizations, and break up the core bodies ofcrime and characteristic trends in criminal

these organizations by ensuring that they areorganizations. Section 2 introduces the efforts

stripped of criminal proceeds and also byof the police for the elimination of organizedeliminating all their sources of funding.

crime. Lastly, Section 3 describes future

The police are aiming to promote effective
countermeasures

based

on

prospects

adequateregardingmeasuresagainstorganized crime.

understanding of changes in the situation ofWith the aim of maintaining and expandingorganized crime. The efforts of the police

theirtoward this purpose include improving skillsorganizations make full use of violence,for collecting and analyzing information,

power,

promoting strategic measures for cracking

exploitation of diverse economic and social

down on organized crime, positively utilizing

activities. Japanese society as a whole needs

investigation methods that are effective fortocontrolling organized crime, and enhancing

organizations. Hopefully, this Special Feature

cooperation with all of the organizations andwill help Japanese citizens to deepen theirdepartments concerned.

understanding of the efforts being made by the

In the Special Feature, Section 1 outlines

organizational
andweakeninfluence,

fraudulent

and

means

eliminatecriminalforthecriminal

police and to think about future measures

recent changes in the situation of organizedagainst organized crime.

-2-Special Feature: Progress and Future Prospects Regarding Measuresagainst Organized Crime
Section 1 Changes in the Situation ofOrganized Crime
1. Situation of Boryokudan(1) Scale and Trends in Boryokudan
Full and associate members of Boryokudan
have continually declined in number since2005. At the end of 2014, the total number ofmembers was 53,500, the smallest number
since the enforcement of the Act on
Prevention of Unjust Conducts by Organized
Crime Group Members (hereafter referred toas the Anti-Boryokudan Act) in 1992. Morethan 70% of the full and associate members of
Boryokudan belong to the Yamaguchi-gumi,
Sumiyoshi-kai, or Inagawa-kai which havealways
been
the
three
oligopolisticorganizations of Boryokudan.

Column: Trends in Jun-Boryokudan
Recently,in

downtown

areas

and

entertainment districts, there are cases inwhich members of the groups that mainly
consistofformer

motorcycle

gangs

collectively and/or habitually commit illegal
acts of violence such as assaults andinjuries. Although these groups are notorganized as systematically as Boryokudan,
they commit crimes and conduct criminal
business and funding activities, and somegroups are likely to be closely connectedwith

Boryokudan

or

other

criminalorganizations. Having defined these groups
asJun-Boryokudan(i.e.,

quasi-Boryokudan), the police have beenworking toward thoroughly grasping therealities

of

Jun-Boryokudan,tightening

controls

over

while

their

illegalactivities.

Trends in Boryokudan (full/associate) membership (2005–2014)
Members

Associate members, etc.

Total (people)

Share of the 3 major Boryokudan groups (%)(people)(％)

100,000

74.0

90,00072.0

80,00070.0

70,00060,00068.0

50,00066.0

40,00030,00064.0

20,00062.0

10,000
0

60.0
Year

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

T otal (people)

86,30084,70084,20082,60080,90078,60070,30063,20058,60053,500Members

43,30041,50040,90040,40038,60036,00032,70028,80025,60022,300

Associate members, etc.

43,00043,20043,30042,20042,30042,60037,60034,40033,00031,200T otal no. in the 3 groups (people)

63,00061,60061,10060,00058,60056,60050,90045,80042,30038,500

73.0

72.7

72.6

72.6

72.4

72.0

72.4

72.5

72.2

72.0

Group

Share of the 3 major Boryokudan groups (%)

Note: The numbers of members and associate members are in round numbers.

-3-(2) Actual Situation of Boryokudan'sFunding Activities
Recent records on the arrests ofBoryokudan members show that the types ofoffenses for which they tend to be arrested
have changed. While the proportion of
extortion, injuries, and other crimes
Boryokudan members commit by openly
wielding their power has decreased orremained unchanged, the proportion of frauds
that Boryokudan members are able to commit
without exercising their power has increased.
The reasons behind this change include
increased difficulty for Boryokudan to openly
use their power for funding because of thetightened police controls that have been
implemented on the basis of multiple

amendments

over

the

years

to

the

Anti-Boryokudan Act, and also due to theadvances in activities aimed at eliminating
Boryokudan.
On the other hand, with the tightening ofpolice controls over Boryokudan, those who
maintain strong ties with Boryokudan but are
not its members are increasing in number.
Additionally, the activities of people who are
related to Boryokudan as well as the ways in
which

they

keep

relationships

withBoryokudan have become diversified.

Proportions of various types of offenses in the total number of crimes committed by Boryokudan members (in 2005 and 2014)

Decreasing transparency of Boryokudan's funding activities
Corporations affiliated with
Boryokudan

Boryokudan

Business activities◆ X X g r ou p ◆Instructions / orders
Acceptance of utilization of
threat to the organizations

Execution ofbusiness

Construction

Worker dispatch business
Former members, etc.

Entertainment business

Financing business

Collaborators

Industrial waste disposal
industries

Profits-4-・・・

Laundered funds

(3) Trends in Boryokudan from theViewpoint of Front-line Police Officers
The NPA conducted a questionnaire survey
on officers responsible for crime information
at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
and Prefectural Police Headquarters (PPH)from December 2014 through January 2015.
Of all the respondents, 76.3% answered that atleast some Boryokudan organizations weremaintaining or expanding their influence. In
response to a question about the factors that
help Boryokudan to maintain or expand its
influence, the majority of these 76.3%
respondents said that collaborators were

helpingorfacilitatingtheactivities

ofBoryokudan.
In response to a question about the changes
that the respondents anticipated to take placein Boryokudan over the next ten years, themajority of them answered that the manner inwhich

Boryokudan

engageinfunding

activities would become more cunning. Manyof the respondents also chose the answers thatindicated that the oligopoly by the three major
Boryokudan organizations would advance,
and that Boryokudan would expand its sphereof criminal funding activities.

Factors that help Boryokudan to maintain or expand its influence (up to three answers)

Changes that are anticipated in Boryokudan over the next 10 years (multiple answers)

Funding activities will be more cleverly carried out.

79.3%

Oligopoly of the major three organizations will progress.

59.3%

New funding activities will be expanded.

48.9%

Boryokudan will be weaken, however, new criminal organizations will
rise.

14.8%

Not much difference from now

8.9%

Other

8.1%
0%

-5-

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

2. Drugs Situation(1) Situation in Clearance of Drug-related
Crimes and Distribution of Abused Drugs
The number of arrests for crimes related todrugs was 13,121 in 2014, maintaining a highlevel. Although the number of arrests forcrimes related to stimulants has been on thedecrease in recent years, it was 10,958 in2014, an increase of 49 (0.4%) from theprevious year. This accounts for 83.5% of allarrests related to drugs. Cannabis-relatedarrests have also been decreasing in number
recently. However, the number in 2014
increased by 206 (13.2%) from the previous
year reaching 1,761, which accounts for
13.4% of all arrests for crimes related todrugs.
The number of people arrested for“Dangerous Drugs” (NPS: New Psychoactive
Substances) in 2014 was 840, an increase of
664 (or 377.3%) from the previous year.
Crimes related to Dangerous Drugs sharecommon characteristics. For example, 80% of
the Dangerous Drug abusers who werearrested in 2014 were first-time drug
offenders, and 70% of all Dangerous Drugabusers under arrest were in their 30s or
younger. While many (58.0%) of theTrends in arrests by applicable laws and regulations forDangerous Drugs (2010 – 2014)
900

840

Violation of other laws and regulations

800

90

Violations against traffic related laws and regulations

700

Violation of the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act

600

Violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act related todesignated substances

160

Placesofof
originPlaceorigin

500
492

400

400

300

300
176
10
40

10

200

1 (Narcotics andPsychotropics
6
Control Act)
19
9 (Designated
6 (Designatedsubstances)
substances)

100
0

2010

2011

112
10

200
100

89

26
57

37

2012

2013

0
2014

Dangerous Drug abusers arrested in 2014
purchased Dangerous Drugs at shops on thestreets, 19.7% of the arrests purchased
Dangerous Drugs online.
(2) Actual Situation of Smuggling andIllegal Trafficking of Drugs by Criminal
Organizations
Recent smuggling cases of stimulants arecharacterized by increasingly diversified
places of origin. The number of places oforigin of stimulants sharply increased from 10
in 2005 to 38 in 2011. While the number
decreased in the following years, it still
remains as high as 28 in 2014. Typically, the(country (region))

Note: Excluding those whose place of origin is unknown.

40

38

Africa33

Europe3132

Middle East

28

U.S.A.
Asia

200

25

30

185

164
150

150

132
120

15
100

12

20

118

13

10
63

65

2006

2007

75

10

50
27

0

0
2005

2008

2009

700
600

500

Oceania
250

800

98

Trends in the number of places of origin of stimulants smuggling and the number of cleared cases by region (2005-2014)(cases)
300

900

2010

-6-

2011

2012

2013

2014 (year)

Proportions of different Boryokudan organizations in the arrests for crimes committed by Boryokudan members
in relation to stimulants (2014)

Dojin-kaimembers engage in trafficking of stimulants inan organized way and that stimulants are themajor source of funding for Boryokudan.

majority of stimulants were smuggled from
Asian countries including China, Malaysia,
and the Philippines, but lately an increasing
amount of stimulants are smuggled from Latin
America, Africa, and the Middle East.
The number of arrests for stimulant
offenses committed by Boryokudan members
was 6,024 in 2014, a decrease of 72 (1.2%)
from the previous year, but still accounting for55.0% of stimulant-related arrests. For someof the small to mid-sized Boryokudanorganizations that have a virtual monopoly on
trafficking of stimulants in specific districts,
trafficking of stimulants is the principal meansfor obtaining funds. The fact that leaders andexecutives of umbrella organizations of large
Boryokudan organizations have been arrested
for possessing, transferring or receiving
stimulants for profit suggests that Boryokudan

3. Situation of Transnational OrganizedCrime(1) Arrests for Crimes Committed byForeigners Visiting Japan
From 2005 through 2014, the number ofarrests for Penal Code offenses committed byvisiting foreigners decreased by 23,373(70.7%).
Regarding arrests for Penal Code offenses
committed by foreigners visiting Japan bynationality/region shows that Chinese visitors(excluding those from Taiwan and HongKong) have accounted for the largest
proportion of arrests in the past ten years.
Recently, the proportion of Vietnamese

Trends in the number of cleared cases committed by foreigners and foreigners arrested in Japan (1989-2014)(cases/arrests)

No. of cleared cases of Penal Code offenses

No. of cleared cases of special law offenses

Total no. of foreigners arrested

50,00040,00030,00020,00010,00001989
1989 1990
2 1991
3 1992
4 1993
5 1994
6 1995
7 1996
8 1997
9 199810 1999
11 2000
12 2001
13 2002
14 200315 2004
16 2005
17 2006
18 200719 2008
20 2009
21 201022 201123 201224 201325 201426-7-(year)

offenders has been on the rise. In 2014, 68.8%(782 persons) of Vietnamese who werearrested by police committed shoplifting.
(2) Crime Infrastructure Exploited byTransnational Criminal Organizations
Transnational criminal organizationscommit diverse crimes skillfully by exploiting
the existing criminal infrastructure. They are
engaged in unlawful money transfer throughunderground banks, fake marriages, false
acknowledgmentofparenthood,counterfeiting of passports and residencecards, and facilitation of illegal employment.
Some cases aroused suspicion recently thatthese organizations have abused the system togrant asylum in order to have undocumented
foreigners acquire resident's status or work
illegally.

money laundering in 2014, 60 cases werecommitted by Boryokudan members.
When money launderers are foreigners
visiting Japan, they often transfer funds toother countries that are different from Japan interms of legal and trading systems. These
foreign money launderers remit criminal
proceeds they acquire in Japan to othercountries, or illegally export cash to theirhome countries. In these cases, it is moredifficult to track illicit money flows incomparison to cases of money launderingtransactions in Japan. In 2014, 36 money
laundering cases were committed by visiting
foreigners.

4. Money Laundering by Criminal
Organizations
The number of arrests related to money
laundering has been on the increase in recent
years. Boryokudan is a particularly ingenious
money launderer, presenting a threat toJapanese society. Of all crimes related toTrends in cleared money laundering cases (2005 - 2014)(cases)350

Violation of the Act Concerning Special Provision for Narcotics (cases)
Violation of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds (cases)

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
Year
Classification
Violation of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes
and Control of Crime Proceeds (cases)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

107(48)134(53)

177(60)173(63)226(90)205(90)243(81)

238(55)272(75)293(55)

Management control of enterprises (Article 9)

0(0)

1(0)

0(0)

1(1)

0(0)

1(0)

1(0)

0(0)

2(0)

1(1)

Concealment of criminal proceeds (Article 10)65(21)

91(18)

137(35)134(41)172(49)139(46)150(43)

158(27)171(35)180(26)

Receipt of criminal proceeds (Article 11)42(27)

42(35)

40(25)

38(21)

54(41)

65(44)

92(38)

80(28)

99(40)

112(28)Violation of the Act Concerning Special Provision for Narcotics(cases)

5(4)

10(5)

7(5)

12(5)

10(4)

9(5)

8(3)

11(4)

10(10)

7(5)Concealment of drug criminal proceeds (Article 6)

3(2)

5(3)

5(4)

10(4)

5(1)

8(4)

8(3)

8(2)

6(6)

5(3)

Receipt of drug criminal proceeds (Article 7)

2(2)

5(2)

2(1)

2(1)

5(3)

1(1)

0(0)

3(2)

4(4)

2(2)

Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate offenses committed by Boryokudan members-8-Section 2 Background and Current Status of
Measures against Organized Crime
1. Measures against Boryokudan
In keeping with socioeconomic changes, thepolice have been advancing effective
application of the Anti-Boryokudan Act,
strategic crackdowns on Boryokudan, andcomprehensive measures for the eliminationof Boryokudan.
(1) Revisions to and Effective Applicationof the Anti-Boryokudan Act
The Anti-Boryokudan Act was enacted in1991 and enforced in March 1992. The social
background that led to the establishment of
this Act was the strong demand for effective
countermeasures against wrongful conduct by

Boryokudan members. This included unjust
funding activities (e.g., racketeering byinterceding in civil disputes and threatening
the use of violence) and turf wars among
various Boryokudan groups.
To keep pace with changes in the situationof Boryokudan that took place after theenforcement of the Act, it has been amended
five times (in 1993, 1997, 2004, 2008 and2012). A system was introduced in the 2012
amendment to the Act for identifying
designated Boryokudan groups in specificconflicts and designated Boryokudan groupsof specific risks. This system has been helping
deter turf wars among Boryokudan groups andattacks by Boryokudan on business operators.

Outline of The Anti-Boryokudan Act
Designating Boryokudan- allow the member to use power/violence for funding- have a certain percentage of members with a crime record- have a hierarchy under the control of the representative

From Boryokudan,
those who

When all conditions
are certified

Designation

Legal controls of members of designated Boryokudan--

Violent demands, including unjust demands for protection money, using the influence of the designatedBoryokudan.**Not only the full member but people who have some relationship with the Boryokudan are also
subject to control
Prohibition
Forceful order to join the designated Boryokudan
Extortion by finger cutting
Obstructing people who have filed or have an intention to file a law suit against a member of designatedBoryokudan by hanging around the person
Exalting violence applied to address conflicts among Boryokudan groups

If violated

Administrativeorder

If violated

Penalty(3 yearsor less inprison,etc.)

If violated

Administrative order to limit the use of Boryokudan offices when conflicts among designated Boryokudan groups occur

Preventing danger to ordinary people○ Specification of “Specified Conflict Designated Boryokudan, etc.”
In the controlled area

- opening new offices and using existing offices- prowling around homes of members of an opposing Boryokudan group

Prohibition

If violated

Prohibition

If violated

Penalty(3 yearsor less inprison,etc.)○ Specification of “Specified Risk Designated Boryokudan,etc.”
In the controlled area

- Violent demands including unjust demands for protection money- Obstructing people who request compensation for damages

An administrative order to control the use of office space when the office may be used for physical violence

If violated

Regulations of damage compensations requested to the representative of a designated Boryokudan
Reduction of burden for a victim to prove the responsibility of the supreme boss when requesting compensation for damages/loss
Promotion of Boryokudan elimination movement by residents○ Prefectural Center to Promote Movements for Elimination of Violence○ On behalf of residents with proximity of a Boryokudan office, competent Prefectural Center for the Elimination of Boryokudan designated by NPSC become the complainant who request
suspension of the Boryokudan office use-9-(2) Strategic Controls
With the aim of eliminating Boryokudan,
the police are enhancing strategic crackdowns
to inflict heavy damage on the organizationalfoundation and funding activities of
Boryokudan. All-out efforts are being madeacross the entire police organization to crack
down on activities of particularly violent andmalicious
BoryokudangroupsandBoryokudan groups with great power.
The Kudo-kai is a designated Boryokudangroup headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Prefecture. Members of this group havefrequently attacked business operators byusing weapons, posing a serious threat not
only to business operators but also to the livesof citizens. While implementing crackdowns
on the Kudo-kai, the police have also beenstrengthening security for exercising strict
control over the Kudo-kai's activities, and willcontinue to deter their dangerous activities
utilizing thorough police control andapplication of the Anti-Boryokudan Act.

organization of the Yamaguchi-gumi. The
first-generation
head
and
the
second-generation head of the Kodo-kai holdthe top positions in the Yamaguchi-gumi.
The police organization's overall efforts in
cracking down on the activities of the
Yamaguchi-gumi,
theKodo-kai,theirumbrella organizations, affiliate corporations
and collaborators have produced somepositiveoutcomes.
However,the
Yamaguchi-gumi and the Kodo-kai still havea very powerful influence and are active indeveloping various illicit enterprises. The
police will continue to implement intensive
controls over these Boryokudan organizations
by making full use of various laws andregulations.
Case: The head, 63, and other members of
the Kodo-kai, a major affiliation of the
Yamaguchi-gumi, extorted 40 million yen inso-called protection money from a
construction business person under thepretext of helping him during the period
from July 2005 through December 2006.
Between December 2009 and November
2010, four members, including the head,
were arrested for extortion.

Case: In January 2013, members of the
Kudo-kai, including the leader, 67, and thevice leader, 58, stabbed a nurse several
times with intention to kill, causing severe
injuries to her face and right arm. From
September through October 2014, 16
members of the Kudo-kai, including thetwo top leaders, were arrested for violating
the Act on Punishment of Organized
Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds, on
suspicion of organizing an attempted
murder.

(3)Comprehensive
Activities
for
Eliminating Boryokudan
The efforts of the police alone are notsufficienttoweakenandeliminate
Boryokudan. Community-based efforts foreliminating Boryokudan are indispensable, sothepolicehave
been
promotingcomprehensive activities for the elimination of
Boryokudan in close cooperation withagencies and organizations concerned.
The past ten years saw particularly
significant progress in these activities within
Japanese society, tending to an increase of
momentum toward the elimination of
Boryokudan. For example, in June 2007, theJapanesegovernment
announced
the
Guidelines for Companies to Prevent Damage
Inflicted by Anti-Social Forces. By October

The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest
Boryokudan organization in Japan. Having thelargest number of members and associate
members, this syndicate has built amicable
relations with many Boryokudan groups andhas thus maintained a status that allows it toexert influence on a majority of Boryokudangroups in Japan. Currently, key positions of
the Yamaguchi-gumi are held by members of
the Kodo-kai, a secondary Boryokudan- 10 -

2011, the Ordinance for Eliminating
Organized Crime Groups was enforced by all
prefectures in Japan.
In close cooperation with Prefectural
Centers to Promote Movements for
Elimination of Violence and bar associations,the police have been supporting citizens'activities for eliminating Boryokudan fromtheir neighborhoods. For example, support isprovided to residents who file a lawsuit
seeking removal of Boryokudan's offices fromtheir local area.
Pursuant to the 2012 amendment of theAnti-Boryokudan Act, each Prefectural Center
to Promote Movements for Elimination ofViolence that has been certified by the
National Public Safety Commission (NPSC)
as a competent center is allowed to filelawsuits in the name of the center, on behalfof the residents in the neighborhood of
Borokudan's offices, demanding injunctions
against the use of those offices. By July 2014,
all Prefectural Centers to Promote Movements
for Elimination of Violence in Japan werecertified as competent centers.

Additionally, in order to eliminate
Boryokudan, it is essential to provide
information to and to ensure the safety of
those who wish to sever their relationships
with Boryokudan. Thus, the police are making
use of their collective strengths for providing
these people with necessary information as
well as for enhancing security precautions bydesignating in advance Protection Officers("POs") who help to secure the safety of thesepeople.

Outline of the system for certifying the competent
Prefectural Centers to Promote Movements for
Elimination of Violence(4) Comprehensive Anti-Firearms Measures
The majority of shooting incidents arecaused by Boryokudan, so the police havebeen
implementing
comprehensive
anti-firearms measures by focusing on
detecting handguns under the control of
Boryokudan. To cope with the difficult
situation
regardingfirearms,
agencies
concerned are implementing countermeasures
under the leadership of the Council for
Promoting Firearm Controls chaired by the
Chairperson of the NPSC. In May 2014, thePlan for Promoting Firearms Control FY2014
was formulated with the aim to uncovercaches of firearms in Japan, and also to securepublic understanding of and cooperation forthe control of firearms.

Security drills by the police- 11 -

Changes in the number of handguns seized by using the Dial 110 for Handgun Reward System (2008 - 2014)
Year
Classification
No. of phone calls (cases)
No. of handgun seized by notifications (handgun)
Incentive (10,000 yen)

2008
695
1
0

2009
1,315
2
25

2010
1,646
1
46

2011
1,145
8
123

2012
1,981
1
26

2013
2,662
1
0

2014
3,811
17
75

Note: The value for 2008 is that of from May 2008, when the operation started, to December 2008.

While thoroughly collecting information
regarding illegal handguns, the police are alsoutilizing various investigation methods forseizing the arsenals of organized crime groups
and exposing smuggling and trafficking ofhandguns. To strengthen border controls, thepolice have been reinforcing collaboration
with the customs authorities, the Japan Coast
Guard and other agencies concerned.
In order to encourage citizens to provide thepolice with information about illegal
handguns, the Dial 110 for Handgun Reward
System was initiated using a toll-free number
as an emergency line to report illegal
handguns. Prefectural police headquarters
receive calls and provide rewards dependingon the information provided or the extent ofcooperation in the investigation.

funds to criminal organizations related todrugs, the Act Concerning Special Provisions
for Narcotics is applied to ensure the arrest ofmoney launderers, as well as the confiscationor forfeiture of proceeds from crimes related
to drugs.
The majority of the drugs abused in Japan
come from abroad. Therefore, it is importantto promote drug countermeasures incollaboration with concerned agencies ofJapan and other countries. In order to stop theflow of drugs into the country at the border,
the police have been reinforcing collaboration
with the customs authorities, the Japan Coast
Guard, and other agencies concerned. The
policearedeveloping
international
coordination, such as information sharing, bysending personnel abroad for overseas
investigation and multinational conferences.
Additionally, because the Internet has madeit easier for traffickers to sell drugs to
unspecified abusers, the police carry out
thorough crackdowns on drug trafficking bygathering information about drug trafficking
online through reports from the Internet
Hotline Center (IHC) and through cyberpatrols.
(2) Complete Elimination of the Demand for
Drugs
In order to eliminate the demand for illicit
drugs completely, Japanese society at large
should uphold a moral standard under which
drug abuse is never allowed. While cracking
down on drug abusers, the police have been
conducting public relations and educational
activities to nurture public opinion favorable
to the elimination of drug abuse from society
as a whole. Particularly for the purpose of
preventing young people from abusing drugs,
the police have provided schools nationwide
with brochures, which explains the harmful
effects of drug abuse. The police have been

2. Anti-Drug Measures
The police have been advancing
comprehensive anti-drug measures that
include both shutting off drug supply andeliminating drug demand by conducting
crackdowns on drug offenses, as well as
public relations and educational activities
aimed at informing the public of the risks andharmful effects caused by drugs.
(1) Shutting off Supply Routes of Drugs
In the investigation of drug offenses, it isimportant to uncover supply routes of drugs
and to eliminate crime organizations lying
above drug abusers. The police have beenpromoting effective investigation methods
such as actively utilizing wiretapping andother methods in the crackdown on organizedcrime. Furthermore, in order to impose
heavier penalties on traffickers and otherrelated dealers, the police are advancing
arrests on smugglers and trafficking pursuant
to the Act Concerning Special Provisions for
Narcotics. Also, for the purpose of cutting off- 12 -

working together with the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT) in order to send lecturers
to junior and senior high schools throughout
Japan to give classes on the topic of theprevention of drug abuse.
(3) Measures against Dangerous Drugs
As there have been cases such as fatal car
accidents caused by abusers of Dangerous
Drugs, Dangerous Drugs have become aserious social issue. In view of this, a meetingof the Council for Promoting Measures toPrevent Drug Abuse was held in July 2014,
which included the attendance of Cabinet
members. At that meeting, Emergency
Measures for Eradicating Dangerous Drug
Abuse was formulated to thoroughly grasp theactual situation of Dangerous Drugs and toraise public awareness about their risks,
among other matters. Based on this, the police
have been working in close cooperation withother agencies concerned to ensure that theJapanese government can enhance various
countermeasures in an integral manner.
With the amendment to the Pharmaceutical
Affairs Act (now the Pharmaceutical andMedical Device Act: PMD Act, a ban on thepossession and use of designated substances
was enforced inApril 2014. In order toeliminate the demand for Dangerous Drugs,
the police rely on the PMD Act, other laws
and regulations for the rigorous cracking
down on Dangerous Drug abusers. Strict
regulations are imposed on drivers exhibiting
unusual behaviors seemingly under the
influence of Dangerous Drugs, and traffic
accidents caused by such drivers are strictly
investigated. Some Dangerous Drugs which
are labeled and sold as legal herbs can cause
the death of abusers. The police have creatededucational materials to inform young people
about the risks of Dangerous Drug abuse.
These materials are used in classes on the
topic of the prevention of drug abuse. Public
relations and educational activities conductedin various traffic safety programs focus on theneed to prevent the spread of Dangerous Drugabuse.

Educational video about the risks of dangerous drugs(Osaka Prefectural Police)

In Japan, groups of substances having achemical structure similar to that of narcotics
or other designated substances are collectively
regarded as designated substances as definedin the PMD Act. Dangerous Drugs containing
designated substances are thus subject toregulations under law. The PMD Act wasamended in December 2014 to increase theregulations that shops selling Dangerous
Drugs must comply with the orders issued by
the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
for product inspection or suspension of sale,as well as to tighten restrictions on theadvertisement of dangerous drugs. Currently,
new Dangerous Drugs are developed insuccession by slightly changing the chemical
structures of existing designated substances.
These drugs are beyond the control of theregulations.
Additionally,
many
advertisements for dangerous drugs are postedon the Internet. In response to such situations,the police have been sharing information
about Dangerous Drugs that they havecollected in the course of their investigations
with other agencies concerned so that theseagencies can take appropriate measures.

3.
MeasuresagainstTransnational
Organized Crime(1) Analyzing Networks of Transnational
Crime Organizations and Tightening
Strategic Control
Transnational crime organizations havemembers from various countries and havebeen expanding their networks in an- 13 -

increasingly complex manner. The National
Police Agency (NPA) integrates and analyzes
the information on transnational crimeorganizations collected by prefectural police.
The NPA cooperates actively with foreign law
enforcement authorities and, if necessary, via
INTERPOL to obtain and analyze information
about their activities across national borders.
(2) Cooperation Efforts with Relevant
Agencies in Japan
There exist different languages andlifestyles in areas having a high population
density of foreign nationals, so problems
between Japanese and foreign residents tend
to occur in the course of their daily lives.
Foreign residents find it often difficult toobtainsafetyinformationintheirneighborhoods. Under such circumstances,some of these foreign residents cannot easily
adapt their way of life to the Japanese one, ormight become victims of crimes or accidents.
It is also possible that transnational crimeorganizations
may
infiltratethese
communities and recruit foreign residents forcriminal activities. The police have been
cooperating with residents of areas having ahigh population density of foreign nationals aswell as with organizations and groups
concerned in order to promote various
programs, including classes given by thepolice on the topics of crime prevention,
traffic safety, etc.

Futsal sports meet held in an area having a highpopulation density of foreign nationals(3) Cooperation Efforts with Relevant
Agencies Overseas
It is vital to exchange information andcooperate in investigations with related
foreign law enforcement authorities to fightagainst crime organizations operating acrossmultiple countries/regions. Japanese police
have been promoting international cooperation
with foreign investigative agencies and, if
necessary, via INTERPOL.
Column: Inauguration of the INTERPOL
Global Complex for Innovation
The INTERPOL Global Complex for
Innovation(IGCI)
wasofficiallyinaugurated in April 2015 to complement
the General Secretariat in Lyon, France.
The IGCI aims at countering cybercrimes,
boosting cyber security, and providing
training for INTERPOL staff members andpolice officers of its member countries. The
IGCI's first Executive Director is aJapanese official from the NPA.
The number of criminals and suspects whoflee Japan after committing crimes hasremained at a high level. When any suspects
are likely to flee Japan, the police contact
immigration authorities, under the Ministry ofJustice, to seek help in the search and arrest of
the suspects before they can leave Japan.

Changes in the number of suspects fleeing abroad (2005 - 2014)
Year
Number of suspects fleeing abroad (people)
Number of which are foreigners (people)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

819

833

817

775

845

879

847

818

798

745

651

656

665

633

683

705

677

654

650

624

- 14 -

4. Measures against Criminal Proceeds
In order to weaken criminal organizations
such as Boryokudan and eliminate them, it isimportant to prevent criminal proceeds frombeing
transferred
to/from
criminalorganizations and to ensure that criminalorganizations are stripped of criminal
proceeds. The police are promoting
comprehensive measures against criminal
proceeds pursuant to the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds, the Act on
Punishment of Organized Crimes and Controlof Crime Proceeds, and the Act Concerning
Special Provisions for Narcotics. These
measures are implemented in cooperation with
relevant agencies and business operatorsconcerned as well as Financial Intelligence
Units (FIUs) overseas.
(1) Enactment, Amendment, and Effective
Application of the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds
The Act on the Prevention of Transfer of
Criminal Proceeds was enacted in March
2007. This Act reinforces the provisions
regarding identity verification and reportingon suspicious transactions, which wereformerly included in the Act on Confirmationof Customers' Identification by Financial

Institutionetc.
andPreventionofUnauthorized Use of Deposit Account etc. and
the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes
and Control of Crime Proceeds. The
applicable scope of the Act was expanded toinclude not only financial institutions but also
other business operators. Additionally, thefunctions of the FIU - control over thecollection, arrangement and analysis of
information regarding reports on suspicioustransactions - was transferred from the
Financial Services Agency (FSA) to the NPA
under the supervision of the NPSC.
On the basis of the deficiencies identified
by the FATF in Japan's third mutual
evaluation report, the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds was amendedin April 2011 to include additionalverification requirements for specified
business operators conducting transactions,and amendments as a whole were enforced in
April 2013.
Column: Amendment to the Act on
Prevention of Transfer of Criminal
Proceeds for Addressing Customer Due
Diligence Requirements
After the amendment to the Act on

Trends in reports of suspicious transactions (2005 - 2014)
Annual number of received cases
Annual number of cases(cases)400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0
Year
Classificat ion
Annual no. ofreceived cases (cases)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

98,935

113,860

158,041

235,260

272,325

294,305

337,341

364,366

349,361

377,513Annual no. of
66,812
71,241
98,629146,330
189,749
208,650
234,836
281,475
296,501
348,778disseminated cases(cases)
Note 1: "Annual number of received cases" before March 2007 was the number of received cases by FSA and aft er April 2007 was t he number of received cases by NPSC.
T he number of received cases in 2007 is the sum of those received by FSA and NPSC.
Note 2: "Annual number of disseminated cases" before March 2007 was t he number of cases from FSA disseminated to NPA, and aft er April 2007 was the number ofdisseminated cases from NPSC t o investigative agencies. T he number of disseminated cases in 2007 is the sum of those disseminated by FSA and NPSC.

- 15 -

Punishment of Organized Crimes and Controlof Crime Proceeds and the Act Concerning
Special Provisions for Narcotics.
(3) Promotion of International Cooperation
International cooperation is essential inorder to fight against crimes of global scale
such as money laundering and the financing ofterrorism. Currently, within internationalframeworks such as the FATF, the APG and
the Egmont Group of FIUs, efforts are being
made for formulating and disseminatinginternational standards regarding anti-money
laundering and countering the financing ofterrorism. The NPA has been actively
involved in these efforts. As of the end of
2014, the NPA, under the supervision of the
NPSC, had established frameworks forexchanges of information with the FIUs of 78
countries/regions.

Prevention of Transfer of Criminal
Proceeds in 2011, the FATF noted thatJapanese legislation lacked provisions
explicitly stipulating some of the customer
due diligence requirements that were
included in the FATF's recommendations.
In June 2014, the FATF published astatement in which the FATF encouraged
Japan to promptly address its deficiencies
in countering money laundering and incountering the financing of terrorism.
In response to the statement, the NPA
deliberated on the legal revisions necessary
for satisfying the customer due diligencerequirements stated in the FATF
recommendations.
Based
on
the
deliberation results, the Act on the Partial
Revision to the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds was enacted
in the 187th Diet session in November,2014. The partial revision included
additional
provisions
concerning
requirements for determining methods ofassessing reports of suspicious transactions.
(2) Deprivation of Criminal Proceeds
In order to prevent criminal organizations
from using criminal proceeds for their survival
or expansion as well as for investing in their
future criminal activities, it is important toensure that these organizations are stripped of
criminal proceeds. Criminal organizations
should be deprived of opportunities to conceal
or consume their criminal proceeds before aconfiscation or forfeiture order is given by acourt. Thus, the police are ensuring viabilityof confiscation or forfeiture by actively
requesting restraining orders for confiscationfrom the court prior to indictments of relevant
crime organizations pursuant to the Act on

Trends in restraining orders for confiscation issued prior to indictments (2005 – 2014)
Year
Classification
Act on Punishment of Organized
Crimes and Control of Crime
Proceeds
Act Concerning Special Provision
for Narcotics

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

8(0)

9(3)

21(7)

44(21)

54(23)

70(36)

101(30)148(39)160(54)193(45)

8(5)

3(2)

4(3)

7(5)

8(5)

13(7)

14(4)

16(8)

4(4)

16(9)

Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate offenses committed by Boryokudan members- 16 -

5. Countermeasures for Organized Crime
Posing a New Threat
Organized crime constantly changes in linewith socio-economic development to gain
economic benefits in a more clever andefficient manner while evading crackdowns.
To achieve the elimination of organizedcrime, it is important to gather and analyze
information about the actual situation oforganized crime, as well as that of criminalorganizations and their activities. The police
need to take effective measures based on an
adequate understanding of the changes inthese realities.
The police regard "special fraud" cases thathave recently resulted in a rapid increase as an
example of organized crime posing a new
threat, because these frauds are likely to becommitted by ingeniously organized groups.
The entire police organization has beengathering information about these criminalgroups in order to understand their activities
in their efforts toward the complete

elimination of these groups.
(1) Measures against Special Frauds
Committed in an Organized Manner
Criminal groups that systematically carryout special fraud, particularly leaders and core
members, take on different roles, such as therole of the person who repeatedly phones anddupes the victim, and the role of the person
who goes to a home or other location toreceive the cash. These criminal groups havecollaborators who find locations from which
the groups can make phone calls to victims, orprovidethegroupswithsurrogatebank/savings accounts in the names of people
not connected to the groups. These
collaborators are aware that these locations
and accounts will be used for wrongful
purposes, and are therefore aiding andabetting criminal groups with frauds.
In 2014, the number of Boryokudan
members arrested for special frauds was 698,
accounting for 35.2% of all those who werearrested for special frauds that year. These

Breakdown of one group committing special frauds- 17 -

numbers suggest that special frauds are part of
Boryokudan's funding sources.
For the purpose of arresting core membersof the groups that commit special frauds andalso of eradicating these groups, the police
have decided to strengthen cooperation
between the white-collar crime department
responsible for investigations of fraud cases
and the organized crime department
specializing in the investigation of crimes
committed by Boryokudan. Through this, thepolice use, in the investigation of groupleaders, the statements and confessions ofcriminal group members who are under arrestfor collecting cash from victims, as well as
advance crackdowns on core group members
by utilizing methods of organized criminal
control including collection, integration andanalysis of information regarding activities ofcriminal groups and monetary transferring of
criminal proceeds.

Department of the police is working in close
cooperation with other departments concernedfor eliminating criminal groups taking into
account the local crime situation.

Case: An executive, 33, and other membersof an umbrella organization of the
Yamaguchi-gumi made phone calls toelderly people, impersonating securities
salesmen, to tell them that they would
receive a pamphlet concerning debenture
investments. By convincing some of theseelderly people that they would be able tolater sell the debentures for 1.3 times asmuch as the price they paid, theBoryokudan members defrauded them of a
total of 52 million yen. By January 2015,
fourteen Boryokudan members, including
the executive, were arrested on fraud andother charges.

(2) Measures against Organized Crime inLine with the Local Crime Situation
Not only special fraud cases but also otherorganized crime that are regarded as security
concerns in each local area must be
adequately understood and comprehensively
countered in order to weaken and eliminate
criminal organizations and to eradicate
organized crime. The Organized Crime- 18 -

Section 3 Future Prospects for Measuresagainst Organized Crime
1. The Status Quo and Challenges Facing
Measures against Organized Crime
The police have been comprehensively
countering organized crime by ensuring
centralized control over measures against
Boryokudan, drugs, firearms, internationalorganized crimes and criminal proceeds.
However, criminal organizations continue
to pose serious threats to Japanese society as
they continually modify their activities for the
purpose of evading police controls andachieving economic benefits more ingeniously
and efficiently.
Boryokudan organizations, in particular,
have been increasingly concealing andsophisticating
theiractivities,
while
diversifying their illicit funding activities in
response to the development of the economy
and society. Core bodies of major Boryokudanorganizations such as the Yamaguchi-gumi aremaintaining a solid economic foundation anda human network. The number of arrests forcrimes related to stimulants has remained at ahigh level, and trafficking of stimulants islikely to be an important source of funds for
Boryokudan. The complete elimination ofDangerous Drugs is a major issue that the
government must address within all its
organizations. Crime infrastructure that isdeeply rooted in Japan continues to make iteasy for international crime organizations tocommit crimes behind the scenes. Due to theperpetrating of special frauds by wellorganized criminal groups, it is of urgent
necessity to eradicate these groups by making
full use of all techniques in counteringorganized crime.

organizations and to eradicate organizedcrime, it is necessary to arrest the leaders andmajor executives of criminal organizations. It
is also important to break up the core bodiesof these organizations by ensuring that they
are stripped of criminal proceeds and also by
eliminating their funding sources.
In order to strategically implement
measures that are necessary for these
purposes, information about the current
situation of organized crime must be gathered.
The information collected nationwide needs to
be integrated and analyzed in order toprecisely understand the members, thechain-of-command structures and the funding
activities of criminal organizations. Strategic
countermeasures can be formulated on thebasis of this understanding. Each step in theentire process collection, integration andanalysis of information, elucidation of therealities of organized crimes, formulation ofstrategic measures, and implementation ofthese measures for cracking down on criminalorganizations should be integrated with eachother in order to create a virtuous cycle andensure the effectiveness of the process.
Criminal organizations have been
expanding their sphere of activities by coming
up with enterprises that current laws andregulations do not control or tightly regulate.
Thus, it is necessary to accurately analyze andunderstand factors that facilitate criminalorganizations' activities, so that the need forstrengthened regulations can be examined andidentified.
(2)
Utilizing
Investigation
Methods
Effective in the Controlling of Organized
Crime
In September 2014, a report was submitted
to the Legislative Council of the Ministry ofJustice regarding modifications to the legal
systems.
These
modifications
wererecommended to facilitate the rational andefficient use of wiretaps, as well as tointroduce a system allowing the disposition of
criminal charges by agreement between the

2. Future Efforts for Countering OrganizedCrime(1) Enhancement of Capabilities for
Gathering/Analyzing
Information
andStrategic Measures against Organized Crime
In order to weaken and eliminate criminal- 19 -

prosecutor and the accused. Currently, therelated laws are being amended in response tothis report. When the necessary legal
instruments are in place, wiretaps can and will
be effectively used in the investigation of
specialfrauds.
As
proceduresfor
implementing wiretapping will also be morerational and efficient, wiretaps are expected tobe utilized widely in the future. The system
for the disposition of criminal charges byagreement between the prosecutor and theaccused is likely to work to the advantage ofthe police in the investigation of organizedcrime. On the basis of the legal instrumentsthat will become available, the police willcontinue to seek and examine investigative
methods that are effective for cracking downon organized crime.
The police will also continue discussing
issues concerning conversation monitoring
and witness protection, which were identified
as future challenges in the report to theLegislative Council.
(3) Stronger Partnerships with the
Departments and Agencies Concerned
In order to counter criminal organizations
that are expanding their sphere of activities,
the police collect and analyze information
concerning organized crime for the purpose of
sharing the results with other departments andagencies
concerned,
irrespectiveoforganizational boundaries. The collective
strengths of the police will be utilized throughthepositiveenhancementof
joint
investigations by multiple departments toward
the effective crackdown on criminalorganizations in their efforts to weaken andeliminate these organizations. Regarding thesmuggling of drugs and other internationallyorganized crime, border control will be
implemented in cooperation with the relevant
agencies in Japan as well as investigative
agencies overseas will also be reinforced.
In partnership with the agencies and groups
concerned, the police continue to engage incomprehensive activities for eliminating
Boryokudan. Information regarding thesystems that crime organizations tend to use
for wrongful purposes will be shared with the
public to ensure that countermeasures againstorganized crime will be promoted throughout
the entire society.

- 20 -

Topic I: Police Rescue Operations under Harsh Natural Conditions(1) Mountain Rescue Operations
I. Mountain Rescue Team Operations
The number of accidents in mountainous
areas has been increasing in recent years. The
number in 2014 was higher than that in 2005
by 911 (or 65.9%). In the event ofmountain-climbing accidents, prefectural
police set up a mountain rescue team to
conduct emergency search and rescue of
people in distress in the mountains. The police
also establish temporary security outposts as
the headquarters for rescue operations,provide mountain climbing instructions toclimbers while patrolling the mountains, andconduct safety checks of trails and surveys ofpotentially dangerous areas.

Drills conducted by mountain rescue teammembers

Column: Climbing Notifications
Climbing Notifications, also called
climbing planning sheets or climber cards,
record information such as the names andclimbing routes of climbers. It is
recommended that every climber/party
submits a notification to the relevant local
government or police in advance, so thatthey can promptly respond to emergencies
in the mountains. Climbers can submit
notifications
directly
to
the
local
government or police, or can put them in apost box placed at the trailhead of amountain or in mountain lodges. The police
have been collaborating with other agencies
concerned in encouraging climbers to
submit notifications partly because thepreparation of a notification gives climbers
an opportunity to review the safety of theirclimbing plans. Some local governments
require climbers to submit notifications
pursuant to ordinances.

Chart I-1 Number of mountain accidents
per year (2005 - 2014)

II. Rescue Equipment and Regular
Search-and-Rescue Drills
The police possess mountain rescue
vehicles and snow vehicles utilized by rescue
teams to access rescue sites, as well as
stretchers and rescue slings for transporting
victims. With the aim of ensuring swift andefficient rescue operations by using thesevehicles and equipment, mountain rescue
teams conduct practical drills based on actual
accidents in the past.

Notification form sample- 21 -

(2) Water Rescue Operations
Prefectural police have supplied a total of
approximately 160 police boats to police
stations responsible for the safety and securityof major ports, remote islands and rivers, andthese boats have been used for water rescue
operations conducted in cooperation with theJapan Coast Guard, as well as for patrols andcrime control activities.

and security of the disaster-stricken area
(hereinafter, the “police of the affectedareas”). Disaster-relief operations include thegathering of information concerning thedamage caused by the disaster, the rescue ofdisaster victims, and the search for missing
persons.
In a disaster causing an unexpectedly large
amount of damage that makes it difficult forthe police of the affected areas to cope withthe situation on their own, Police Disaster
Dispatch Units 1 , as a structure to support
disaster security operations, are set up andsent to the afflicted areas.

Police boats

Case: In August 2014, the city of Hiroshima
was struck by a series of large-scalelandslides. With the dispatch of Police
Disaster Dispatch Units from across thecountry, the Hiroshima Prefectural Police
rescued victims, searched for missing
persons, and engaged in around-the-clock
disaster security operations in thedevastated areas where torrents of mud
water left piles of rocks, fallen trees andother debris.

Case: In November 2014, waves striking
one side of a fishing boat caused it tocapsize on the coast of Kochi Prefecture.
The captain, 63, and two other crew
members were thrown overboard. At therequest of Kochi Coast Guard Office, theKochi Prefectural Police dispatched thepolice boat "Ootosa" to the rescue site. At
that time, a gale warning had been issued
for the marine areas which included therescue site, and the waves were as high as 2
meters. The police boat, in cooperation witha rescue helicopter that was sent to the site
by the prefectural government, rescued thethree victims by the use of lifebuoys andslings.

Rescue operation utilizing a police helicopter

Police boat rescue operation(3)
Operations of Police Units during
Large-Scale Disasters
I. Disaster Relief Operations of Police
Disaster Response Units
When a disaster takes place, mobile police
units and additional police officers aredispatched for relief operations by theprefectural police responsible for the safety

1: Disaster Response Units (DRUs) are organized on thebasis of Inter-Prefectural Emergency Rescue Units(IERUs) and consist of Readiness Units and Regular
Units. Approximately 10,000 officers nationwide belong
to Readiness Units and are mobilized immediately
following the occurrence of a large disaster. Other
officers of DRUs belong to Regular Units which are sent
to disaster-stricken areas to engage in a broad range of
operations in response to local needs when a prolonged
period of time is necessary for these operations.

- 22 -

walk due to a broken leg, out of a mountainlodge and rescued her with a police
helicopter.

II. Development of Training Facilities to
Improve Police Capabilities to Cope with
Disasters
In order to further enhance the capabilities
of IERUs and other operation units, there is anecessity to develop facilities that can be used
as a training center for officers in preparation
for disaster security operations.
Specifically, as IERU members and otherpolice officers need to undertake safe andeffective training and drills given in asystematic and step-by-step manner toimprove their capabilities to respond todisasters such as landslides due to heavy rainsor large-scale earthquakes that are likely totake place in the future in Japan, the police areproceeding with plans to develop training
facilities.

Gas concentration measurements

Search for victims near the top of Mt. Ontake

Training facilities (Conceptual plan)

Column: The Volcanic Eruption of Mt.
Ontake and Ensuing Police Operations
Mt. Ontake, a volcano straddling
Nagano and Gifu prefectures, erupted in
September 2014 with many climbers falling
victim to the disaster. On the steep slopes
near the mountaintop where a thick layerof volcanic ash covered the ground andvolcanic gases were released, police fromthe two prefectures rescued and provided
relief to victims, with the help of mobile
units from the Metropolitan Police
Department. The Nagano prefectural police
mountain rescue team climbed to themountaintop and rescued people stranded
there. The Gifu prefectural police mountainguard, on patrol near the mountaintop,
carried a woman, 39, who was unable to- 23 -

Topic II: Measures against Child Abuse(1) Child Abuse
I. Current Situation of Child Abuse
The number of inquiries and reports thatChild Guidance Centers receive concerning
child abuse continues to increase nationwide.
The number in FY2013 was 73,802, up by
40,394 (or 120.9%) from FY2004. In 2014,
the number of cleared cases for child abuse
was 698, an increase of 470 (or 206.1%) from2004. As serious cases of child abuse havebeen happening one after another, the national
government, as well as the police, must takemeasures for the prevention of child abuse.
II. Measures Taken by the Police
When the police are informed of a child
who is suspected of being abused, police
officers take measures such as visiting thechild at home to ensure that the child is safe,
visiting neighbors of the child to collectinformation and making inquiries on various
information.
After
determining
thesignificance and urgency of the need to takemeasures, the police decide whether to pursue
criminal charges of a child-abuse case, takethe abused child into protective custody orgive notice of child abuse to a Child GuidanceCenter, with the first priority always given to
the confirmation and securing of the safety ofchildren. In 2014, the police took 2,034
children into protective custody and informed
Child Guidance Centers about the abuse of
28,923 children.
Case: In November 2014, the neighbor of ayoung boy called the police and informed
them that the boy was walking around thestreets alone at night. The police inquired
into the circumstances of the boy, 6, andfound that his mother, 26, frequently left
the boy alone at home because of hernight-time job. Due to the fact that her
conduct had been reported to the police
multiple times in the past and she had not
improved the situation for her son, thepolice suspected that the boy had been
neglected and took him in protective
custody after which he was transferred to
the Child Guidance Center.

Chart II-1 Number of child abuse inquiries/reports received by Child Guidance Centers per year
(FY2004 - FY2013)- 24 -

Chart II-2 Number of cleared cases for child abuse per year (2004-2014)

III. Collaboration with Child GuidanceCenters
In order to detect and protect abusedchildren at the earliest possible opportunity,
the police collaborate with the Child GuidanceCenter. Specifically, the police conduct joint
training with these centers so that police
officers and officials of these centers can learn
how they should inspect the domicile orresidence of an abused child or search for achild who is suspected of being abused 2 .
Retired police officers are employed tosupport these operations with Child GuidanceCenters. The addition of a juvenile support
center 3 for each Child Guidance Center isalso promoted by the police.
When the director of a Child GuidanceCenter requests the assistance of a police

station chief4in confirming the safety of a childby staff members of the center, police officers
accompany the staff members to the incident
site.

Joint training for inspections and search by
officials of Child Guidance Centers

Case: In February 2014, the police received
a report of an abused child. After informinga Child Guidance Center, police officers
accompanied the center's staff members to
the residence of a boy in order to confirm
his safety. They found that his father, 26,
and mother, 23, had been keeping their
3-year-old son restrained on a dog leash,
which was tied to a window lock. By March
2014, both parents were arrested for illegal
arrest and confinement of the boy. The boy

2: Article 9-3 of the Act on the Prevention, etc. of Child
Abuse stipulates the following: A prefectural governormay, when he/she finds suspicion of ongoing child abusein cases where the custodian of the child fails to follow
the request for appearance, cause an official engaged in
the affairs concerning welfare of children to inspect the
domicile or residence of the child or search for the child,for ensuring that safety of the child is confirmed andsecured, with a permit issued in advance by a judge of a
district court which has jurisdiction over the location of
the domicile or residence of the child.
3: As of April 1, 2015, 195 juvenile support centers havebeen established nationwide with 66 of these centers
located outside police facilities.

4: Article 10 of the Act on the Prevention, etc. of Child
Abuse stipulates the following: When the director of aChild Guidance Center intends to confirm the safety of achild and/or take temporary protective custody of a child,he/she may ask the chief of a police station having
jurisdiction over the location of the domicile or residenceof the child for assistance, as needed.

- 25 -

was put under the temporary protective
custody of the Child Guidance Center.

(2) Crimes Related to Child PornographyChild pornography depicts children as
victims of sexual abuse and assault, andtherefore are vicious crimes that infringe
significantly on children's human rights.
Against a backdrop of growing international
concern regarding the defense of children's
rights and protection of children from crimes
related to child pornography, the Act on thePartial Revision to the Act on Punishment of
Activities Relating to Child Prostitution andChild Pornography 5 was enacted in June,
2014. With this enactment, punishable
offenses were widened to include possessionof child pornography for the purpose ofsatisfying one's sexual curiosity andproduction of child pornography by means ofsecret filming6.
Pursuant to the revised Act7, the police have
stepped up on the crackdown on crimes
related to child pornography. In the period
from July 15, 2015, when the revised Act was
put into force, to the end of 2015, there were
29 cleared cases for production of secretly
filmed child pornography involving 28
children as victims.

Wristwatch video camera used for secret filming(3) Violent Sex Crimes against Children
With the aim of preventing and promptly
countering crimes in which children are
victimized, the police have been taking thefollowing countermeasures.
I. Promotion of Operations by Juvenile and
Woman Aegis Team (JWAT)In April 2009, JWAT8 was established by
the Metropolitan Police Department and byeach Prefectural Police Headquarters. The
JWAT collect and analyze information on
cases against juveniles and women that areconsidered to be the preliminary stages ofsexual crime, such as accosting andshadowing, to identify the suspect. An
identified suspect is arrested or given awarning or offered guidance by the JWAT. In
addition to conventional police controls, thesepreemptive and preventive efforts of the
JWAT are actively promoted to prevent sex
crimes against juveniles and women.

Case: In July 2014, an unemployed man,48, secretly filmed two undressed young
girls in the men's dressing room of a publicbathhouse, by using a wristwatch video
camera. The following August, the man wasarrested for production of secretly filmedchild pornography, a violation of the newly
revised Act on Regulation and Punishmentof Acts Relating to Child Prostitution andChild Pornography.

Case: In October 2014, the police received areport on a case of indecency, and the
JWAT
conducted
aninvestigation.
According to the report, a man talked to a
7-year-old girl who was on her way toschool. He said, "Hey, stop", and thenproceeded to press his hand on the girl's
lower abdomen, while putting his cellphone
inside her skirt to take photographs. Within
the same month, a man, 32, was identified
as a suspect and arrested for forcible
indecency.

5: The Act on Punishment of Activities Relating to Child
Prostitution and Child Pornography, and the Protection ofChildren
6: The provisions stipulating prohibitions on the possession ofchild pornography for the purpose of satisfying one's sexual
curiosity and the retention of electromagnetic recordings ofchild pornography became applicable on July 15, 2015.
7: The Act on Regulation and Punishment of Acts Relating toChild Prostitution and Child Pornography, and theProtection of Children

II. Strengthening the System to Prevent
Violent Child Sex Offenders from
Repeating Offenses after They Are Released
8: Juvenile and Woman Aegis Team- 26 -

Since June 2005, each Prefectural Police
Headquarters has been making it a rule toobtain information from the Ministry ofJustice for confirming the whereabouts ofpersons who were released after serving timefor forcible indecency or other violent sex
offenses against children under the age of 13.
In April 2011, the police began to reinforce
measures aimed at preventing repeat offenses.
When necessary, the police, with the proper
consent of the former child sex offenders,
conduct interviews with them.

- 27 -

Topic III: A New Framework of Collaboration between Industry, Academia
and Government to Cope with Threats in Cyberspace(1) Current Threats and the Need for
Additional Undertakings
Although Japan achieved some positive
results in its efforts dealing with threats incyberspace, these efforts focused on measuresagainst each specific case that had happened.
Japan has not yet been able to take proactive
and comprehensive measures against theever-shifting pattern of threats to ensure future
threats to be neutralized before it happens.
Industry, academic institutions, and law
enforcement agencies such as the police, wereplaying key roles in coping with cyber threats
while accumulating a wealth of knowledge
and experience in dealing with them.
However, each of these sectors was acting
independently in promoting their various
measures. Sufficient efforts were not made forthe coordinated integration and analysis ofsuch knowledge and experience in order toformulate effective countermeasures. In theStrategy to Make Japan "the Safest Country in
the World", approved by the Cabinet in 2013,
and also at the Advisory Council for NPA on
Cyber Security9, it had been noted many times
that a new organization needed to be created.
The National Cyber-Forensics &Training
Alliance (NCFTA) in the United States ofAmerica, a non-profit organization attaining
positive results within the framework ofcollaboration between industry, academia andgovernment, was suggested as a model.

Chart III-1 Challenges in dealing
with threats in cyberspace
Having knowledge and real-time information of
the threat from cyberspace

Industry

No effective measures, such as arrest of
However, suspects, are available.

Having high level skills and knowledge fromresearch.

Academic
institutions

However, Have no real experience handling threats
in cyberspace
It is possible to make a specified case that is
related to a specific threat ineffective by
understanding the details through investigationand other police activities

Law enforcement
agencies

The threat of the entire scope of
However, cyberspace has not been thoroughly
understood(2) Outline of the NCFTA
With the aim of effectively coping withincreasingly complex threats in cyberspace,
the NCFTA was established in 1997 in the
U.S.A. The NCFTA brings together law
enforcement agencies, private industry, andacademia to share and analyze real-time
information on the threats, so that multiple
sectors can work jointly towards cyber threats.
The results that the NCFTA obtains by
integrating and analyzing the information it
collects are provided to law enforcement
agencies and private companies. The NCFTA
also has training programs for investigators.
The NCFTA's proactive and comprehensive
efforts within the framework of collaboration
between industry, academia and government
have produced positive results. For example,
the NCFTA helped seize criminal proceeds
and prevent potential losses in theinvestigation of cyber financial crime. The
NCFTA is highly admired inside and outside
the U.S.A., with initiatives modeled after the
NCFTA having been undertaken in othercountries.

9: The Advisory Council on Cyber Security has been heldby the NPA since FY2001 to generate discussion byexperts on cooperation between industry and government
agencies, particularly the police in order to ensure thesecurity and reliability of info-communications network.

- 28 -

public with the information that the JC3
integrates, the JC3 helps create a safe andsecure Internet environment for the public. In
order to maximize its potential, the JC3 isbuilding relationships with the NCFTA andother organizations overseas for the purposesof sharing information and cooperating witheach other.
II. Cooperation between the Police and theJC3
In January 2013, the police formulated the
Immediate
ActionProgramfortheReinforcement of the Abilities to Cope with
Cybercrimes. Based on this program, thepolice have been strengthening partnerships
with private businesses in order to cope withcybercrimes. After the inauguration of theJC3, the police began to use the JC3 as a hub
for collaborating with an increasing number ofpartners in industry and academia on a routine
basis, not just cooperating with individualcompanies after each case but also aiming at
the development of a new framework ofcollaboration between industry, academia andgovernment. At a forum held by the JC3 in
February 2015 and other opportunities, thepolice have actively exchanged views andinformation with experts from industry andacademiaregardingfinancialcrimes,information leakage and other issues.

Chart III-2 Structure of the NCFTA(database)(3) A New Framework of Collaboration
betweenIndustry,
Academia
andGovernment in JapanI. Establishment of JC3
After considering the circumstances, the
NPA and other entities deliberated on theestablishment of a new organization, resulting
in the establishment of the Japan Cybercrime
Control Center (JC3). The center started
operations on November 13, 2014.
At the JC3, the separate information andexpertise of industry, academia andgovernment agencies are collated and theresults are provided to each sector to identify
any sources of threats in cyberspace. The JC3
aims to prevent cybercrimes by mitigating andneutralizing cyber threats. By providing theAcademic
institutions
Information on the actual
situations of threat

Industry(end users)

Victim information, etc. Integration

Related expertiseand analysis
of information

R&D
Knowledge to prevent
damage/loss
Investigation
information, etc.

Wide range of victim andinvestigation information

JC3

Industry(security providers)Training
Overseascollaboration

Information accumulated
through businesses

Understanding
the entire scope of the case

PoliceUnderstanding the entire scope of the threat in cyberspace enables the addressing of issues- 29 -

It is expected that close cooperation with
the JC3 will make it possible for the police totake proactive and comprehensive measuresagainst threats in cyberspace. For example,
information about malware will be integrated
at the JC3 from industry, academia andgovernment agencies for analysis to identify
the relevant command-and-control servers.
This will enable the police to exercise theirstatutory authority of investigation forneutralizing these servers and preventing any
potential losses. The police will in turn share
information related to their investigations of
the threats with the JC3 to contribute to theefforts by industry and academia to enhancecyber security. Efforts will be accelerated
toward the creation of a safe and secure
cyberspace by adequately and promptly
utilizing information shared through the JC3
for effective police operations.

JC3 Forum 2015

- 30 -

Topic IV: Initiatives Aimed at Traffic Safety for the Elderly(1) Situation of Traffic Accidents Involving
the Elderly
The number of elderly fatalities in traffic
accidents in 2014 was 2,193, which accounts
for more than half of overall fatalities intraffic accidents. The number of elderly
fatalities
brokendown
byaccident
circumstances suggests that nearly half of allelderly fatalities occurred while walking. In
addition, traffic accident fatalities and injuries
broken down by age group and by severity of
injury suggests that the elderly account for
13.5% of the slightly injured persons, 34.9%of the seriously injured persons and 53.3% of
the fatalities. Thus, the percentage of theelderly increases as the extent of injury
becomes severe.

(2)

MeasurestoPrevent

cooperating with related agencies and otherorganizations to implement measures such asindividual guidance through home visits andenlightenment activities at facilities such as
hospitals and care centers, and also to promote
safety education in which the elderly can learn
through participation, hands-on experienceand practice by actively using walking
simulators, cycling simulators and otherequipment. Looking at the statistics of elderly
fatalities in 2014 by time-zone, the fatalities
of elderly pedestrians tend to be higher thanthose of non-elderly pedestrians particularly
between the hours of 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. In
light of this, the police are conducting safety
activities to protect and guide the elderly at
twilight, and to encourage them to wear brightclothes for visibility, in addition to promoting
the widespread use of items that incorporate
reflective materials.

Accidents

Chart IV-1 Casualties broken down by age group (component rate) (2014)

Fatalities
2.0%(4,113 people)

Seriously injured(41,658 people)

Slightly injured(669,716 people)

8.2%

3.5%

6.4%

6.3%

12.4%

≤ age 1516 ≤ age ≤ 24
14.7%

6.9%

0%

10%

9.3%

4.9%

10.0%

9.6%

25 ≤ age ≤ 29
9.3%

20%

7.3%

12.3%

53.3%

12.0%

Age in 30's
18.8%

30%

40%

Involving Elderly Pedestrians and Elderly
Cyclists
Of the elderly fatalities in 2014, about 60%
occurred while walking or riding a bicycle andabout 80% of the elderly in that 60% did nothave a driver’s license. Accordingly, with theaim of providing opportunities for traffic
safety education to be given to the elderly who
are not licensed to drive, the police are- 31 -

50%

60 ≤ age ≤ 64
7.7%

Age 65 ≤34.9%

Age in 40's

Age in 50's

18.5%

12.4%

60%

70%

5.9%

80%

13.5%

90%

100%

The police are working to ensure the safetyof elderly pedestrians and cyclists bypromoting safety measures on community
roads such as the establishment of 30km/hr.
zones, installing barrier-free traffic lights, anddeveloping dedicated cycling spaces incooperation with road administrators. Also,
measuresincludingincreasing
theluminance and size of road signs, converting
traffic lights to LEDs, launching theexclusive parking zone system for elderly
and other drivers10, the development of atraffic environment where elderly drivers
can drive safely and securely is promoted. In
addition, considering the growing importanceof public transportation as a means of mobility
for the elderly, the police are enhancing
cooperation with other agencies andTraffic safety instruction given to the elderly
through home visits(3) Ensuring the Safety of the Elderly by
Improving the Traffic Environment

Chart IV-2 Elderly pedestrian fatalities broken down by time of day (2014)(People)140
Elderly (people)

Others

122

120

112
98

100

76

80

60

50

53

34

40
22

20

Midnight

2 a.m.

4 a.m.

6 a.m.

8 a.m.

10 a.m.

Noon

6-8 a.m.

8-10 a.m.

10 a.m.Noon

Noon2 p.m.

77

80

80

87

37

20

11

19

M idnight 2 a.m.

2-4 a.m.

4-6 a.m.

Elderly(people)

44

27

Other
than
elderly(people)

65

55

2 p.m

21

15

20

0

27

4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8.p.m.

10 p.m.

2-4 p.m.

4-6 p.m.

6-8 p.m.

8-10 p.m.

10 p.m. midnight

45

57

175

210

126

55

1,063

15

17

35

49

55

57

435

Total

Note: The numbers of fatalities are timed per hour in the graph and two hours in the table.

10: Under this system, specific drivers such as the elderly,
handicapped persons and pregnant women driving
ordinary vehicles that display a certain emblem issued by
Prefectural Public Safety Commissions (PPSC) areallowed to park or stop at spaces designated by roadsigns.

- 32 -

organizations
towardenergizing
revitalizing local public transportation.

and(4) The Enhancement of Measures for
Elderly Drivers
Drivers who are 70 years old or older as ofthe date their license expires are required totake a training course for the elderly when
they renew their license. The course provides
lectures related to safe driving, practicalguidance to ensure the safe driving of
automobiles and other vehicles and guidance
based on the results of a test using a driving
aptitude testing apparatus 11 , through which
participants are helped to become aware of thechanges in their physical abilities and are
given concrete instruction for safe driving
based on the test results. In 2014, 2,298,006
persons took this course.
Also, drivers who will be turning 75 years
old or older before their license is to expire
are required to take a pre-training course test
(a cognitive functioning test) up to 6 months
before their license is due to be renewed. This
test is aimed at having elderly drivers becomeaware of the status of their memory andjudgment and at supporting them incontinuing to drive safely. After the test, a
training course is provided based on the test
results. In 2014, 1,438,040 elderly persons
took the pre-training course test (cognitive
functioning test).

In-vehicle instruction in the training course forthe elderly

Column: Amendment of the Road Traffic
Act as a Measure for the Prevention of
Traffic Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers
The trend of numbers of traffic accidents
and fatal traffic accidents caused by drivers
aged 75 or over has been increasing. Since
the number of licensed drivers aged 75 orover has been increasing in step withdemographic aging, the number of traffic
accidents caused by elderly drivers is
expected to further increase. Accordingly,
with the aim of addressing the urgent issue
of promoting measures for preventing
traffic accidents involving elderly drivers,
the Act on the Partial Amendment of theRoad Traffic Act was enacted at the 189th
Diet session in June 2015. The Act
addresses the following:
1 the introduction of an extra cognitive
functioning test for drivers aged 75 orover who have committed certain traffic
violations
2 the introduction of an extra training
course for the elderly whose cognitive
function is judged to have declined
enough to affect their ability to drive
automobiles and other vehicles, based on
the results of an extra cognitive
functioning test
3 the review of the system to make itpossible to order those who are judged tohave the potential to suffer dementia by acognitive functioning test to take a special
aptitude test (diagnosis by a specialized
doctor) or to submit a medical certificate
prepared by a doctor regardless of their
history of violations.

11 : This apparatus consists of a dynamic visual acuity
testing instrument, a night-time vision testing instrument
and a visual field testing instrument. It is designed to
examine the speed and accuracy of responses to visual
stimuli.

- 33 -

those for drivers aged 75 and over whose
cognitive function is judged to havepotential for having declined or suffering
dementia by a cognitive functioning test
will be improved.

In conjunction with this amendment, thetraining courses for drivers aged 70 to 74
and for drivers aged 75 and over whose
cognitive function is judged not to havedeclined based on the results of a cognitive
functioning test will be rationalized, while

Chart IV-3 New measures for elderly drivers- 34 -

Topic V: The Threat of International Terrorism and Police Counter
Terrorism Initiatives(1) The Threat of International Terrorism
Reaching JapanThe recent trend of international terrorism
is greatly changing with the rise of ISIL,
which operates in the region of Iraq and
Syria. ISIL is attracting many foreign
fighters from around the world, by a greatamount of revenue from oil fields theyoccupy and other financial resources, and by
spreading ideological propaganda. There is aconcern that these foreign fighters might carryout terror attacks when they return to theirhome countries. In Japan, the Tokyo
Metropolitan
PoliceDepartment
isinvestigating a person who is suspected ofattempting to travel to Syria to join ISIL andbecome a combatant as a case of preparationor plot for private war. Japan is thus notexempt from the threats of foreign terrorist
fighters.
There are terrorist attacks conducted byradicalized individuals who have noconnection with terrorist organizations(lone-wolf terrorists) in Western countries.
Among them are the serial terror attacks that
occurred in Denmark in February 2015.
Propaganda
disseminatedbyterrorist
organizations like ISIL and Al Qaeda-relatedorganizations through media and the Internet
has radicalizing effects on these lone actors
who are inclined to carry out attacks.

Under these circumstances, two Japanesenationals were killed in Syria in January andFebruary 2015, which deeply shocked Japanand the world. On February 1, 2015, a video
featuring these murders was released allegedly
by ISIL on the Internet. This video, addressedto the Japanese government, contains
messages which suggest that ISIL would
continue to target Japanese nationals.
Considering the current situation, terrorist
threats against Japan have become reality.

An ISIL combatant, warning of the Japanesenationals' execution (Kyodo)(2) Terrorist Attacks Targeting Large-Scale
EventsJapan will be hosting the G7 Summit in2016 and the Tokyo Olympic andParalympic Games in 2020. These
high-profile, large-scale international events
can be targeted by terrorists, as they attract
world attention. The Olympic and Paralympic
Games, in particular, attract extremely highattention, since a number of high-level
officials, athletic teams, and spectators will begathering from all over the world. On theseoccasions, there is no denying the possibilityof Japan becoming a target of terrorists.
Indeed, during the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich, Germany, Israeli Olympic teamISIL Combatants (Afro)- 35 -

members were assaulted. Also, during the1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, U.S., aterrorist bombing occurred at the Central
Olympic Park. Additionally, in recent years, aterrorist bombing attack targeting London's
subway system took place in July 2005 during
the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the United
Kingdom, killing 56 people. Also, in April
2013, a terrorist bombing attack took place ashort distance from the finish line of the
Boston Marathon, killing three people.
Furthermore, in Volgograd, a city locatedabout 680 kilometers northeast of Sochi,
Russia, which was preparing for the 2014
Winter Olympic Games, three suicidebombings took place between October andDecember 2013, in which a total of 40 people
were killed. Terrorist attacks targetinglarge-scale events have claimed the lives ofmany people in various parts of the world inrecent years.

various counterterrorism measures andexpending all possible means to prevent actsof terrorism.
I. Enhancing the Ability of Intelligence
Collection and Analysis
In order to prevent terrorist attacks, it isnecessary to collect a wide range of
information and accurately analyze it. As
terrorism is an extremely highly-secretive
activity and the majority of relevant
information gathered is fragmentary, theaccumulation and comprehensive analysis ofsuch information is necessary. The police areenhancing their ability to gather and analyze
intelligence by working more closely with thesecurity intelligence agencies and otherinstitutions of other countries. The NPA
Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Department
are playing a key role in this initiative.
II. Rigorous Crackdowns on Illegal
Activities
In the event that the police recognize any
illegal activity and possible terrorist attack
plots through intelligence collection andanalysis, strict measures will be taken inaccordance with law and evidence.
III. Enhancing Vigilance and Security
Activities
With the recent difficult situation caused byinternational terrorism in mind, the police areboosting their vigilance and security activities
for important facilities, including the office of
the Prime Minister, airports, nuclear facilities,
and facilities related to the U.S. and for public
transportation such as railways.

The trolleybus wreckage caused by the suicidebombing in Volgograd, Russia (Jiji)(3) Police Counter Terrorism Initiatives
As Japan will be hosting large-scale events inthe near future, the police are promoting

Security at airports
Security at the Diet Building- 36 -

IV. Enhancing Border Controls
In order to prevent terrorists from entering thecountry, it is important for Japan as a country
surrounded by the ocean to effectively
promote border controls by conducting
immigration examinations, export and importcargo inspections and other measures atinternational airports and seaports. The
government has established the Interagency
Team on Border Security and Crisis
Management within the Cabinet Secretariat,
and coordinating to enhance border control
measures carried out by the relevantorganizations. In addition, airport/seaportsecurityandcrisismanagementadministrators/officers placed at international

airports and seaports, are taking the lead in
conducting drills simulating specific cases andin improving the protection of importantfacilities in cooperation with relatedorganizations.

Joint training for airport counterterrorism measures

System for border control and crisis-management at
airports and seaports- 37 -

Chapter 1 Police Organization and the Public Safety Commission System
Section 2 Public Safety Commission
Activities
1 National Public Safety Commission(NPSC)In accordance with the Police Act and otherlaws, the NPSC supervises the NPA byindicating all-encompassing policies andundertaking administrative tasks that fallwithin the scope of its authority, such as theestablishmentof
NPSC
Regulations,
appointment of or taking disciplinary action
against local senior police officers (officers
among prefectural police organizations ranked
AssistantCommissioner
andhigher),confirmation of the relevancy of practicalobjectives and requirements when designating
a designated Boryokudan (organized crimegroup). In 2014, the NPSC established 12
NPSC Regulations, including the regulation tosecure the appropriate implementation ofoperations pertaining to specially designatedsecrets relating to police.
The NPSC usually convenes regularmeetings every week on Thursdays. In
addition, the NPSC strives to maintain anunderstanding of the state of public safety andpolice operations through the mutual exchangeof views between members of thecommission, and by listening to reports fromthe NPA, exchanging views with PPSC
members and conducting on-site inspectionsof police activities.

Section 1 Police Organization
1 Public Safety Commission System
The Public Safety Commission System
serves a significant role in ensuring the
democratic operation and political neutralityof the police, and the National Public Safety
Commission (NPSC) was set up on a national
level to supervise the National Police Agency(NPA), while Prefectural Public Safety
Commissions (PPSC) were set up at
prefectural levels to supervise the prefectural
police. In addition, the Minister of State isappointed as Chairperson of the NPSC in
order to coordinate the two requirements:
ensuring the political neutrality of the policeandclarifying
theadministrative
responsibilities of the Cabinet in relation to
public safety.
2 National and Prefectural Police
Organization
In contrast to the prefectural police thatassume centralized enforcement duties, theNPA, as a national agency, formulates police
systems, and also conducts police operations
regarding cases involving national public
safety, undertakes the administration ofmatters which form the foundation of police
activities such as police education andtraining, police communications, criminal
identification as well as the development ofpolice administration. In addition, as of April
1, 2015, along with police headquarters,
police academies, and other facilities, there
were 1,167 police stations in the 47
prefectural police.

- 38 -

meetings and other assemblies and giving
guidance on the police efforts based onincidents, accidents and disasters within thejurisdiction, organizational status, personnel
management and other matters.
PPSCs generally convene three or four
regular meetings a month and also strive tomaintain an understanding of the state of
public safety and police operations throughparticipation in Police Station Councils,
discussions with relevant organizations suchas the board of education, and on-site
inspections of police activities.

Regular meeting of the NPSC

Case: In January 2015, during a visit to
Fukui Prefecture, the Chairperson of the
NPSC inspected the Mihama Nuclear
Power Plant and provided encouragement
to security units deployed at nuclear
facilities, in addition to inspecting theimplementation status of training at apolice academy and the surrounding areasof the scene where a couple was suspectedof having been abducted by North Korea.

Case: In January 2014, members of theSaga PPSC rode in a cycling simulator witha screen that displays a simulated traffic
environment. The simulator allows cyclists
to receive practical learning on traffic rules
and etiquette.

A member of the Saga PPSC rides in a cycling
simulator

3 Handling Complaints and Giving
Instructions for Inspections
A system for filing complaints has been
stipulated in the Police Act. Any person who
has a complaint about the duties executed by
the personnel of the prefectural police may
file the complaint in writing to the PPSC. The
PPSC will generally notify the complainant of
its decision in writing. In 2014, PPSCs
nationwide received 930 complaints.
In addition, in accordance with provisions
in the Police Act, the NPSC and PPSCs may
give specific instruction for inspection to the
NPA and prefectural police respectively.

The Chairperson of the NPSC, providing
encouragement to the security detachment at
the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant.

2 Prefectural Public Safety Commissions(PPSC)
Prefectural Public Safety Commissions
supervisetheprefectural
policebyundertaking many administrative tasks inrelation to citizens’ lives such as issuing
drivers’ licenses, regulating traffic, awarding
benefit payments to victims of crime,
supervision of various types of business suchas antique dealing, and by receiving reports
from Chiefs of Prefectural Police at regular- 39 -

4 Mutual Communications between Public
Safety Commissions
The NPSC and all PPSCs hold various
liaison conferences in order to maintain
constant close communications. In 2014, twoliaison meetings between the NSPC and all
PPSCs nationwide were held, in which views
were exchanged concerning the status ofactivities by the Police Station Councils.
In 2014, in each Regional Police Bureau
and in Hokkaido, a total of thirteen liaison
meetings were held between jurisdictional
public safety commissions, and between the
Hokkaido Public Safety Commission and the
Area Public Safety Commission in Hokkaido.
Members of the NPSC also attended thesemeetings which involved reports concerning
the state of public
safety and the efforts of each prefecture, andexchange of views. Furthermore, liaison
meetings between the PPSCs of Tokyo,
Hokkaido, Kyoto, Osaka and other designatedprefectures were also held.

was held for members of the Public Safety
Commissions of designated prefectures,
including Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto
and 12 other prefectures. At this meeting,the members discussed matters pertaining
to the status of complaints filed with the
Public Safety Commissions, the roles of the
Public Safety Commissions and theenhancement of their activities.

Liaison meeting of 16 PPSCs

Case: In May 2014, in Kanagawa
Prefecture, a liaison meeting of 16 PPSCs- 40 -

Chapter 2 Ensuring Community Safety and Criminal Investigation

Section1
Crime
Situation
andCountermeasures
1. Criminal Cases
The number of confirmed criminal cases in2014 was 1,212,163, a decrease of 101,977(7.8%) cases from the previous year. The
number of cleared criminal cases in 2014 was
251,115, a decrease of 11,371 (4.3%) cases
from the previous year.

amount of financial losses caused by fraud
was the largest at approximately 84,627
million yen (46.5%). The total number ofconfirmed special fraud cases and the total
amount of financial losses caused by special
fraud have been increasing since 2010, when
figures for special fraud other than remittancecall fraud began to be compiled with figures
for remittance call fraud.
In particular, the total amount of financial
losses was the highest ever due to a sharp
increase in "cash delivery type" billing fraud,in which cash is sent by means including
delivery services.

2.
CountermeasuresagainstCrimesTargeting People’s Assets
Regarding the situation in the amount offinancial losses caused by property offenses,
in accordance with types of crimes, theTrends in confirmed and cleared criminal cases (1946-2014)(10 thou. cases/10 thou. people)
300

Confirmed cases

Cleared cases

Arrests(%)

Clearance rate (%)

10090

2002: 2.85 m. cases
250

80
1998: exceeded 2 m. cases

70

2014: 1.21 m. cases

200

60
150

50
2001: 19.8%

100

2014: 30.6%

40

1973: 1.19 m. cases

30
20

50

10
0

0

1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 (Year)

Note: Figures from 2008 to 2012 were based on statistics available as of August 1, 2014.

Trends in the number of confirmed special fraud cases/total financial losses (2005-2014)

Special fraud other thanremittance call fraud
Refund fraud, etc(Ca ses)
25,000(100 m. yen)600

20,000500

Advance-fee loan fraudBilling fraud

15,000Swindle of remittance byimpersonation
Total losses from remittance call fraud

10,000Total losses from special fraud
other than remittance call fraud
Total losses from all special fraud

400
300
200

5,000

100

0

0
2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Note: Figures for special fraud other than remittance call fraud have been compiled since February 2010

- 41 -

2012

2013

2014

The amount of financial losses caused by special fraud, classified by delivery method (2013 and 2014)
Bank transfer

Cash hand-overCash delivery by post

2013

112.1
(22.9% )242.9(49.6% )

131.0(26.8% )

2014

107.7
(19.2% )236.3(42.2% )212.1(37.9% )

0

100

200

300

400

Cash card hand-over

3.5(0.7% )

3.4
(0.6% )

500

(Cases)600

2 Ensuring Thorough and Appropriate
Investigations, and Responding to Reforms
within the Judicial System
The number of audio and video recordings
made during the interrogations of suspects incases for trial by lay judges show anincreasing trend since April 2009, when thepilot program began nationwide. As for thecases concerning suspects with intellectual
disabilities, audio and video recordings weremade in 1,117 cases in FY2014, and theaverage recording time for each case wasapproximately 6 hours 30 minutes.
In September 2014, the Legislative Councilof the Ministry of Justice submitted a proposal
for the following systems to the Minister:
introduction of a system which requires, as a
general rule, to make audio and video
recordings be made of the entire process of
suspect interrogations for cases subject to trial
by lay judges, an agreement system that grants
conditions for prosecution in exchange forcooperation in evidence collection, etc., and asystem that involves the rationalization andstreamlining of communications interception.
Currently, the necessary laws are being
developed for the introduction of thesesystems.

Section 2 Developing Infrastructure for
Police Investigations
1 Enhancing Investigative Capability
In order to make up-to-date improvements
regarding proper and effective ways ofobtaining statements that represent the truth
during interrogations and regarding ways ofpassing on these techniques, the NPA
promotes
advanced
andappropriate
interrogations. It has created the instruction
manual, “Interrogation: Basic Edition” inDecember 2012 and so on. Also, the NPA
promotes examinations of measures for theeffective use of DNA profile analysis and the
DNA database, the rationalization andstreamlining of communications interception,and the advancement of investigativetechniques including the introduction ofundercover investigation, in order to breakaway from an excessive dependence oninterrogation and written statement, as well as
to respond accurately to crimes that are evermore advanced and complex due todevelopments in scientific techniques andother factors and to enable accurate
verification through objective evidence.

- 42 -

The number of audio and video recordings made during interrogations related to cases for trial by lay judges,
and per-case average audio and video recording time (FY2009-2014)

No. of audio and video recordings

Avg. audio and video recordings(Cases)

14 hr. 2 min.
3,105 cases (842 min.)

3,500
3,000

(Min.)

2,845 cases

2,637 cases

600

2,000

500

1,500

400

1,118 cases

300

1,000

0

800
700

2,500

500

900

358 cases
14 min.
2009

359 cases
15 min.

17 min.

44 min.

3 hr. 7 min.
(187 min)

200
100
0

2010

2011

2012

Section 3 Initiatives for Protecting Womenand Children from Crimes
1 Handling Violent Cases Arising from the
Entanglement of Emotions Related to
Romantic Attachment(1) Current Circumstances
There were 22,823 confirmed stalking casesand 59,072 confirmed spousal violence cases12
in 2014, the most confirmed cases of both,since the enforcement of the Anti-Stalking Act
and the Act on the Prevention of Spousal
Violence and the Protection of Victims.
(2) Measures
The police established a system that enables
cases in which the immediate securing of
personal safety is deemed necessary (e.g.,
violent cases arising from the entanglement ofemotions related to romantic attachment) to behandled in an integrated fashion. The police
put the highest priority on ensuring the safetyof the victims and other individuals andsystematicallypromotepromptand

2013

2014 (FY)appropriate responses including arresting
suspects through proactively applying theAnti-Stalking Act, the Act on the Preventionof Spousal Violence and the Protection ofVictims and other current laws andregulations, undertaking protection measures
such as encouraging victims and otherindividuals to evacuate to safer places,
securing their security and promoting theregistration of phone numbers in the 110
Emergency Call Registration System as wellas the installment of video cameras.
Moreover, in order to appropriately respondto consultations from victims and otherindividuals, the police have also introduced
Procedures of Support in Decision-making for
the Victims" and "Risk Determination
Check-list protocols.

12: Based on the enforcement of the Act for the Partial
Amendment to the Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence
and the Protection of Victims enacted in June 2013, figures on
and after January 3, 2014 also include cases of violence
perpetrated by intimate partners in a relationship of sharedprincipal dwelling (excluding persons living together withouta relationship characterized as a marital relationship).

- 43 -

Trends in the number of confirmed cases of stalking, and spousal violence (2005-2014)(Cases)Stalking cases

Spousal violence cases

Cases in which couples lived together

70,00059,07260,0007,402

49,53350,00043,95040,00051,67034,32933,85228,15830,00020,00025,21016,888
12,22020,992

18,236
13,463

12,501

19,92014,657

16,176

14,82321,08922,823

14,61810,000

0

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

(Year)

Note: Stalking cases include the number of cases of continual shadowing, silent phone calls, etc. that do not infringe on the Anti-Stalking Act andother Penal Laws and regulations. Spousal violence cases are the number of cases where victims receive counseling after being subjected to physicalviolence from a spouse, threats to their life, etc.

Establishment of a System

Headquarters Response
System
Support personnel

Criminal Affairs
Department

Promptreportingas soon as acase isrecognized

PoliceStation

Guidance/advice

Community
SafetyDepartment

Reporting

Structure- Commander in charge of the case
- Personnel preferentially designated to the structure
in dealing with the case
- Handling consultation through both the Community
Safety and Criminal Affairs departments- Procedures of support in decision-making for thevictims- Use of a risk determination check-list- 44 -

Personnel to bedispatched to thepolice station toassist inarrestingcriminals,
providingprotective
measures, etc.

Dispatchingsupport personnel
to the police station

Chief of
PoliceStationCommandingChapter 3 Securing Safety in Cyberspace

Section 1 Threats in Cyberspace
1 Characteristics of Threats in Cyberspace
The Internet has become recognized as asocial infrastructure essential to citizens’ lives
and socioeconomic activities. Today, whilecyberspace has become a part of citizens’
daily lives, cybercrimes such as online
banking fraud are frequently committed, andcyber attacks including cyber terrorism andcyber espionage are often carried out on a
global scale. Thus, threats in cyberspace are
becoming serious. During 2014, thetechniques used for cybercrimes such as
online banking fraud and spear phishingemail attacks were found to have grown
more vicious and sophisticated, and thepresence of "crime infrastructure" incyberspace, including malicious proxy
servers, was confirmed. In addition, newtechniques and services that have the potential
to be used by individuals for crimes incyberspace arose, as seen in the case where an
individual used a 3D printer to manufacture ahomemade handgun. Much harm was caused
by unauthorized login attacks and by theprovision of privately recorded sexual images.
Thus, there was a tendency for Internet use tolead to an increased risk of Internet users'
involvement in crimes.

2 Cybercrime
In 2014, the number of cleared cases forcybercrime was 7,905, a year-on-year
decrease of 208 cases.
3 Cyber Attacks
In recent years, cyber attacks have been
occurring in Japan against entities such as
government agencies and private companies,
and the techniques used are becoming moreingenious. In particular, threats of cyberterrorism, which is an electronic attack
causing the core systems of criticalinfrastructure malfunction and paralyze social
functions, and cyber intelligence, which isespionage operation using information andcommunication technology, are becoming
problems that may impact the country’s public
safety and security.

Threats in cyberspace

Cybercrime

Cyber terrorism

1) Stealing IDs andpasswords

Suspects

2) Unauthorized access

Actor’s PCs

Owners of IDs

3) Unlawfulmoneytransfer

Huge amounts of data
Computer targetedby the attack

Denial ofservices!

Internet banking

UnauthorizedaccessDDoS attack- 45 -

Cyber espionage
Government agencies
Private companies with
cutting-edge technology2) Computers
are infected withmalware!

3) Automatic
sending of
information

1) Sending a malware attached e-mailOpening thee-mailCommand andControl server

Actor4) Stealing secret
information

Spear phishing email
attackModus operandi of cyber espionage

Section 2 Dealing with Threats in
Cyberspace
1 Measures against Cybercrimes(1) Measures against Online Banking
The total loss caused by illegal moneytransfers has sharply increased since 2013,reaching about 2,910 million yen in 2014,
which is the highest to date. The policearrested 233 persons who were involved inillegal money transfers during 2014. In
addition, the police have, in collaboration withprivate companies, implemented preventive
measures such as requesting financial
institutions to strengthen the security capacityof online banking.
(2) Measures against Crimes Arising From
Online Dating Sites and Community Sites
The number of children becoming victims
of crimes involving online dating sites has

shown a decreasing trend while the number ofchildren becoming victims of crimes arisingfromcommunity

sites

has

shown

increasing trend since 2013, due to theincrease in the number of victims of crimes
involving online bulletin boards where IDs forfree-telephone apps can be exchanged. To
prevent crimes involving children's use ofcommunity sites, the police are promoting theenhancement of website monitoring and aremaking efforts to introduce effective "Internet
zoning", in addition to promoting publicity
and public relations and educational activities
for the purposes of further spreading filteringand of preventing crimes involving children.
The police are making these efforts incollaboration
ministries

with
and

relatedagenciesgovernmentandorganizations.

Trends in the number of online banking fraud by month(Cases)(Mil. yen.)

300
Actual amount of loss
250

450
400

Amount of prevented loss

350

No. of cases

200

300
250

150

200

100

150
100

50

50

0

2013

- 46 -

2014

Nov.

Sept.

July

May

Mar.

Jan.

Nov.

Sept.

July

May

Mar.

Jan.

Nov.

Sept.

July

May

Mar.

Jan.

0

2012

an

other

Trends in the number of child victims of crimes involving online dating sites and community sites

792(People)2,000■: Online dating sites■: Bulletin boards where IDs for free telephone apps are exchanged■: Other community sites
1,500

1,239
1,136
1,000

792

0

1,100

1,136

1,076

0
0

36

1,085

1,040

1,239

352

724

453
254

2007

2008

2009

282

2010

2011

439

Comparison bet.
Jan. to June andJuly to Dec. in 2014

723

698

218

159

2012

982

941

792

500

0

1,085

0

0

0

1,421

1,293

2013

152
2014

262

177

436

546

82

70

Jan-June2014

July-Dec(Year)
2014

Note: Statistics of other community sites is available since 2008.

Section 3 Promoting Collaboration between
Government and Private Sector against
Threats in Cyberspace
1
Promoting
Collaboration
betweenGovernment and Private Sector against
Threats in Cyberspace
In order to counter the threats incyberspace, it is necessary to collaborate withprivate companies. Therefore, the police areestablishing a framework to cooperate withentities such as private companies and are
utilizing their knowledge to prevent harmcaused by cybercrimes and cyber attacks andto ensure an accurate response in the event of
an incident.

Framework for countermeasure with private sectors- 47 -

Chapter 4 Ensuring Safe and Comfortable Traffic Conditions
Section 1 Traffic Accidents in 2014
The number of fatalities from traffic
accidents in 2014 was 4,113. While that
number has been steadily decreasing since2001, the reduction has recently shrunk due tothe increase in the population of the elderly
whose fatality rate is higher than that of otherage groups.

dangers of drunken driving and the facts about
accidents caused by drunken driving, thepolice are promoting participation, hands-on
experience and practice-type traffic safety
education using goggles that simulate
intoxication and other equipment.

2 Promotion of the Safe Usage of Bicycles
The number of bicycle-related accidents in2014 was 109,269. While the number fell
from the previous year, it still accounts forapproximately 20% of overall traffic
accidents. The police are reinforcing guidance
and regulations for bicycle users, and striving
to make everyone aware of rules for bicycle
usage, including that cyclists should ride onstreets in principle.

Section 2 Boosting Traffic Safety
Awareness
1 Police Initiative to Eradicate Drunken
Driving
The number of traffic accidents due todrunken driving in 2014 was 4,155 in decrease
for fourteen consecutive years. As well asactively informing the public about theTrends in the numbers of traffic accidents, fatalities, injuries, licensed drivers, owned vehicles, kilometers driven(1966–2014)(People/10,000 people/ 10,000 vehicles/ 100 mil. km)
18,000(10,000 accidents/10,000 people)
140
Fatalities (People)

Injured(10,000 people)

14,000No. of traffic accidents and injured

100
12,00080

60

10,0008,000
Accidents(10,000 accidents)
6,000

40
No. of licensed drivers (10,000 people)

4,000

20
Vehicle ownership(10,000 vehicles)

2,000

Vehicle km traveled (100 mil. km)

001966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Source: MLIT for the number of vehicle ownerships and the vehicle km traveled- 48 -(Year)

Fatalities/licensed drivers/vehicle ownership/vehicle km traveled

16,000

Fatalities within 30 daysof accident (People)

120

Trends in the numbers of drunk-driving accidents and drunk-driving fatal accidents (2005-2014)(Accidents)
1600(Accidents)
16,00011,6261200

12,000No. of drunk driving accidents
7,561

800

8,000
6,219

709

5,726

5,556

611

400

5,030

4,603

4,335

4,155

4,000

433
305

No. of drunk driving
fatal accidents

292

290

2009

2010

270

256

238

227

2011

2012

2013

2014

0

No. of drunk driving accidents

No. of drunk driving fatal accidents

13,878

0
2005

2006

2007

2008

Section 3 Ensuring Safe Driving
In order to ensure the safe driving of
automobiles and other vehicles, the police areworking to enhance education for persons
seeking to acquire a driver’s license as well as
education after a driver’s license has been
issued and are also striving to implement strict
and prompt administrative dispositions against
drivers who repeatedly violate the Road
Traffic Act and/or cause serious accidents, toremove them from the road as soon as
possible.

Column: Amendment of the Road Traffic
Act as a Measure for the Prevention of
Traffic Accidents Involving Trucks
With due consideration to the situation ofsociety and with the aim of preventing
traffic accidents involving trucks, the Act
on the Partial Amendment of the Road
Traffic Act, which includes the creation of alicense for semi-medium-sized vehicles,
which can be acquired from age 18, wasenacted at the 189th Diet session in June2015.

The creation of a License for Semi-Medium-Sized Vehicles

Gross weight of vehicle

5 tons11 tons

Ordinary vehicles
License for Ordinary Vehicles

Medium-sized vehicles
License for Medium-sized Vehicles

Large vehicles
License for Large Vehicles

18 years old or older

20 years old or older
Holding ordinary driver's license etc.
for 2 years or longer

21 years old or older
Holding ordinary driver's license etc.
for 3 years or longer

Gross weight of vehicle

Ordinary vehicles
License for Ordinary
Vehicles18 years old or older

7.5 tons

3.5 tons

Semi-Medium-sized
vehiclesLicense for Semi-Mediumsized Vehicles
18 years old or older

11 tons

Medium-sized vehicles

Large vehicles

License for Medium-sized
VehiclesLicense for Large Vehicles

20 years old or older
Holding ordinary driver's
license etc. for 2 years or longer- 49 -

21 years old or older
Holding ordinary driver's license etc.
for 3 years or longer

Section 4 Traffic Environment Improvement
1 Developing Safe and Secure Traffic
Environments
To achieve safety and smooth traffic flow,
the police are working to improve traffic
safety facilities such as traffic lights and roadsigns. At the same time, to address the issue of
deteriorating traffic lights and other facilities
in service for a long time, the police areworking on replacing deteriorating facilities,
extending the service life of facilities,
reducing life-cycle costs from a medium- andlong-term perspective on the basis of NPA’s
Action Plan for Life Extension of
Infrastructure.

enacted in June 2013, came into force in
September 2014, and circular intersections
had been introduced at 43 locations by theend of FY2014.
Since circular intersections are expected
to contribute to decreases in the number ofaccidents, mitigation in damage andshortening of waiting time at intersections
as
well
as
to
improvements
indisaster-response capabilities, the police
will continue to promote the introduction of
circular intersections at proper locations.

2 Ensuring the Safe Passage of Pedestrians
by Improving Traffic Environments
To ensure the safe passage of pedestrians
and others using community roads inresidential areas, the police are cooperatingwith road administrators to promote theestablishment of 30km/hr. zones. By the endof 2014, 30km/hr. zones were established in
1,827 places.

Column:Introductionof
CircularIntersections
Special provisions for the establishmentof traffic rules for circular intersections,which are part of the Act on the Partial
Amendment of the Road Traffic Act

Illustration showing the implementation status of 30km/hr. zones
Measures at theentrance of a zone

Measures within a 30 km/hr. zone

Installing a zone
regulatory sign

Speed regulation

Regulations such as
prohibiting use bylarge vehicles

Installing speed
humps

Measures in the vicinity of a zone
Installing a (nonregulatory) traffic
markingChanging traffic
signal control

Installing a rightturn lane

<Legend>
Measures

Measures implemented by the Public
Safety Commission

Measures

Measures implemented by the roadadministrator
Measures implemented by the Public Safety
Commission or the road administrator

Measures- 50 -

Installing/wideningof side strips andelimination of thecenterline

Chapter 5 Maintaining Public Safety and Disaster Countermeasures

Section 1 International Terrorism andCountermeasures
1 International Terrorism(1) Islamic and other extremist groups
The situation of international terrorism has
gradually changed with the rise of the ISIL, anorganization that was initially related to theterrorist organization Al-Qaeda (AQ). The
ISIL has been involved in the murder of Iraqi
soldiers, as well as American and British
hostages and has posted videos of these acts ofviolence on the Internet, shaking theinternational community with its cruelty. In
addition, it has been reported that more than
20,000 foreign fighters have participated in
the conflict in Syria. It has been pointed outthat there is a potential danger that thesefighters could carry out terrorist attacks intheir home countries after their return.
Recently there have been incidents in which
Japan's interests and Japanese nationals wereactually targeted. The terrorist incidents in
Syria involving Japanese nationals which took
place in January and February in 2015, and theterrorist incident which took place in Tunisia
in March of the same year are examples ofsuch incidents. There is a growing concern
over the possibility of Japanese nationals
being involved in terrorist attacks or
abductions in the future.

March 2014 for the first time in over a year
and four months, and in the subsequentconsultations held in May of the same year,
North

Korea

promisedtoconductacomprehensive and thorough investigation
into the whereabouts of all Japanese victims,
including abductees and missing persons. In
response to North Korea's launch of theinvestigation after the consultations held in
July 2014, the Japanese government liftedsome sanctions imposed on North Korea. As
of April 1, 2015, however, the Japanese
government has not obtained any specificinformation from North Korea on the resultsof the investigation.

2 International Terrorism Countermeasures
In response to the recent severe situationof terrorism, the NPA established the “NPA
Headquarters for the Promotion ofCountermeasures against Terrorism” inFebruary 2015 and has been making further
efforts to prevent terrorism and to strengthen
terrorism
response
capabilities
byconsidering and promoting counter-terrorism
measures.

(2) North Korea
As of December 31, 2014, the police havedetermined 13 suspected cases of abduction
by North Korea involving 19 victims, and are
acting on international arrest warrants issued
against 11 North Korean operatives involved
in eight abduction cases.
In addition, the Japan-North Korea
Government-Level Consultations were held in

Exercises by the Counter-NBC (Nuclear, Biological,
Chemical) Terrorism Squad

Among the measures to prevent terrorist
attacks, the NPA is promoting cooperation- 51 -

Countermeasures
To prevent a recurrence of Aum Shinrikyo’s
indiscriminate mass murder, the police areworking with related agencies to reveal its
actual state and are strengthening thecrackdown on its coordinated illegal activities.
In addition, the police are also promoting
public relations activities in order to prevent
memories of the series of heinous incidents
perpetrated by the Aum Shinrikyo, such as theSarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo Subway, fromfading, and to obtain an accurate
understanding of its current situation.

between the government and private entities
for counter-terrorism. It is also enhancing
measures to protect nuclear, biological andchemical materials for the prevention of
NBC terrorism. In order to enhance thesystematic response to terrorist attacks, the
NPA is making efforts to improve andstrengthen anti-terrorism squads and topromote joint exercises with the Japan
Self-Defense Forces.

Section2
Foreign
Affairs
andCountermeasures
1 Harmful Activities against Japan andCountermeasures
North Korea has made repeated military
provocations, such as launching ballistic
missiles, in its rivalry with the U.S.-South
Korea joint military exercises. At the sametime, North Korea has agreed to continue tohold high-level talks with South Korea. In thisway, North Korea’s diplomacy has alternatedbetween dialogue and provocation. As for its
policy toward Japan, North Korea appeared tohave tried to form pro-North Korea public
opinion in Japan by accepting Japanesedelegations led by famous persons in apositive manner and allowing the Japanesegroups to continue to visit the graveyards oftheir relatives who died in North Korea as apart of efforts to bring back their remains.

2 Trends in Extreme Leftist Groups andCountermeasures
In 2014, extreme leftist groups, attempting
to maintain and expand their organizations,and engaged in popular movements and labor
movements such as anti-nuclear power
demonstrations while concealing their
violence and political leanings.
The police are pressing ahead with criminal
investigations related to extreme leftist
groups, utilizing sweeping searches onapartments and other places to uncoverunderground strongholds, and public relations
campaigns using posters and other materials.

2 Cracking Down on Illegal Exports ofMaterials Related to Weapons of Mass
Destruction
The police have been tightening theircrackdown on illegal activities in violation of
the sanctions imposed on North Korea. By
April 2015, the police had exposed a total of
34 illegal activities.

National Workers' All-Out Rally by extreme leftist
groups (November, Tokyo)

3 Trends of Rightist Groups andCountermeasures
In 2014, rightist groups conducted protest
activities, including propaganda activities on
the streets, seizing on such issues as illegal

Section 3 Public Safety and Countermeasures

1

Trendsin

Aum

Shinrikyo

and- 52 -

fishing for coral off the coast of theseriesoftheselarge-scaledisasters,

Ogasawara Islands by Chinese fishermen,

implementing activities such as the rescue oftarget practice conducted by the South Koreandisaster victims and search for missing

Navy in waters including Japan's territorial

persons.

waters off the coast of the Takeshima islands,
and the publishing of articles on the comfort
women issue by The Asahi Shimbun whichthat newspaper withdrew and apologized forlater. The police are striving to prevent serious
incidents such as terrorism acts by rightistgroups, and are engaged in crackdowns on
their illegal activities.
In addition, right-wing citizens' groups,

Search activities for missing persons(Hiroshima Prefecture)including Zaitokukai, are organizing activities
such as demonstrations and rallies at various
locations and sometimes

commit2 Imperial/Dignitary Protection
With due consideration to the affinity
between the Imperial Family and thecitizenry, the police have implemented
security measures to ensure the safety of theImperial Family, as well as to manage
crowds and prevent accidents amongwell-wishers.
In addition, under the current climate ofheightened tension surrounding important
officials, with concerns of possible terrorist
and other illegal attacks, the police are
implementing appropriate security measures
to ensure their safety.

illegalactivities arising from trouble with groups
which oppose the actions of right-wing
citizens’ groups. The police continue to takestrict measures, based on the law andevidence, should any illegal activity be
confirmed.

Demonstration by a right-wing citizens' group(November, Tokyo)

Section 4 Dealing with Disasters andSecurity Measures
1 Dealing with Natural Disasters
In 2014, earthquakes, heavy rains,
typhoons, gales and storm surges resulted in
166 fatalities/missing persons and 621
injuries. In August of the same year, torrential
downpours in and around Hiroshima City
caused landslides, and in September, Mt.
Ontake erupted. The police responded to the

Escort for the Imperial Family visiting the Ise Jingu
Shrine (March, Mie)

- 53 -

Chapter 6 Police Activity Support
Section 1 Foundation of Police Activities
1 Structure
The total number of police personnel in
FY2015 was 294,669, of which 7,741 were
NPA personnel, and 286,928 were prefectural
police personnel (as of April 1, 2015).

2 Budget
The police budget consists of NPA budget
and Prefectural Police budgets. The national
government covers expenses to operate the
NPA, directly appropriated expenses for PPH
activities of national significance, andsubsidies to supplement PPH budgets.

National Police Agency budget (after final FY 2014 revisions)56.605

Note: Excluding 69.839 bil. yen for the expenses to include in the special account for distribution of local allocationand shared taxes

Prefectural Police budget (after final FY 2014 revisions)Other
389.602 bil. yen(12.0%)
Facilities expenses
250.747 bil. yen(7.7%)
Total
3,254.576 bil. yen(100%)

Personnel expenses
2,614.227 bil. yen(80.3%)- 54 -

3 Police Info-communications
The police are developing various
info-communication systems that enable themto immediately respond to incidents,
accidents, and disasters in any situation. They
are working to provide these nationwide andincrease the sophistication of systems.

addition, in order to ensure the uniform
treatment of detainees nationwide, the NPA
implements planned patrols of all prefecturaldetention facilities every year.

Section 2 A Strong Police Force Able toProve Worthy of Citizens’ Expectations
and Trust
1 A Strong Police Force Able to Prove
Worthy of Citizens ’ Expectations and
Trust(1) Active and Rational Organizational
Management
In September 2013, the police set forthpolicies to strengthen efforts for theestablishment of a strong police force that can
prove worthy of citizens’ expectations andtrust. They are advancing active and rationalorganizational management.

4 Management and Operation of Detention
Facilities
As of April 1, 2015, there were 1,158
detention facilities nationwide. In accordancewith the Act on Penal Detention Facilities andTreatment of Inmates and Detainees, police
have fully separated investigations anddetention while promoting treatment that pays
due regard to the human rights of detainees
andpressingahead
withfacility
improvements,
toensureappropriate
operations in detention management. In

Infrastructure that helps the police to communicate among themselves about their activities

Police Box(Koban)Incident,
accident ordisaster sites

PolicePolice station

Police car

Mobilepolice unit

Satellite
communication vehicle

Mobilepolice unit

Local
headquarters

In-vehicle radio communications

Multiple radio
communications channels

Satellite
communication
channels

Policeheadquarters

InquiresResponses

Inquiry center
InquiresNation-wide network

Radiorelay
stationSite

Responses

Dedicated channels
Regional Police
BureauNPA- 55 -

Information
processing center

Specifically, while police duties are becoming

provide an opportunity to seek their understanding

diverse and wide-ranging, in order to fulfill theand cooperation.

responsibilities the citizens charge them with, thepolicearemovingstreamlining/optimization

ahead

with

bold

centeringon

police3 Efforts of the Ministerial Meeting Concerning
Measures against Crime
Presently, while indicators of public security inJapan, such as the number of confirmed criminal
offenses are improving, the nation is facing serious
threats that include cybercrimes, cyber attacks,international terrorism, and organized crime. In
addition, good public security ensures the safety of
citizens’ lives while also contributing to socialand economic development. Given that, in
December 2013, The Strategy to Make“Japan the
Safest Country in the World” was drawn up at
the 21st Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures
Against Crime, and approved by the Cabinet.

station duties, and tackling the utilization ofenhanced capabilities by young police officers at
an early stage, given the advent of a period of mass
hiringandretirement.

Also,

togetherwithrigorously handling misconduct and undisciplined
behaviors by police officers, the police areworking on the construction of a system for duties
that would mitigate those risks, based on theanalysis of causes and context behind individual
cases.

4 Support for Crime Victims
The victims of crime and their bereaved families
or families not only suffer physical, emotional or
financial harm directly as a result of the crime, butalso incur a varying range of secondary
victimization. Therefore, police are working toenhance a variety of aspects of their support for
victims of crime and their families.

Education for young police officers(2) Carrying out Inspections
In FY2014, the NPA and regional police bureaus
implemented 2,047 inspections at sites that include
prefectural police with the aim of improving theiroperation, including by providing guidance about
the appropriate storage and management of
external data storage media.

Section 3 Collaboration with Foreign Public
Security Organizations
The NPA is strengthening cooperative relations
with public security organizations of foreigncountries, including the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, in thefields of countering international terrorism andimproving cyber security.
In addition, the NPA is working to enhancebilateral relationships through such measures asholding consultations with public security
organizations of countries including China, South
Korea and Viet Nam, with which Japan has had
close relationships in crime control.

2 Police Activity Transparency
When undertaking activities to prevent local
crimes and traffic accidents, it is necessary tounderstand the views of the residents and theirdemands, and to obtain the understanding andcooperation of local residents. Consequently, allpolice stations nationwide have, in principle, set up
Police Station Councils. These councils allow the
Chiefs of Police Stations to hear the views of local
residents regarding police station affairs, and also
- 56 -

The 2nd Japan-Viet Nam vice-ministerial level Public
Safety and Security Dialogue- 57 -