Police services of the Empire of Japan

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In the Empire of Japan, there came to be numerous police services, with jurisdictions that in some cases could overlap.

[edit] Structures and organization

The Naimusho (Home Ministry) oversaw the nation's police activities with the Keihokyoku (Police Bureau) and its "Gyosei Keisatsu Kisoku" (Administrative Police Regulations), (similar to German Reichssicherheitshauptamt) which established the duties and powers of the police. The police in Japan took on a wide range of responsibilities that extended far beyond normal criminal duties and into controlling most facets of Japanese society.

The Home Ministry had responsibility for civil police duties and the Shihisho (Ministry of Justice) for the administration of law, also leading civil police forces. In addition, in time, the Kempeitai, Tokeitai and Tokko assisted local law enforcement officers throughout Japan.

Civil police services were also set up overseas (in Chosen, Kwantung, Formosa, Karafuto, some extraterritorial Japanese dependencies in Shanghai, Peking and Tientsin before the war on the chinese mainland). Later, from the 1930s period to the Pacific War other similar but "native" civil police services operated in Manchukuo, Mengjiang and the Wang Jingwei Government. The police and security services in South Pacific Mandate and Pacific area were the charge of the Tokeitai.

The primary police duties were the application of the "Chian Iji" security doctrine ('maintenance of order'), a catch-all phrase that came to encompass a wide variety of "crimes" and led to the many of the brutalities carried out by the Kempeitai and Tokko.

The most important common criminal investigations, and higher-level metropolitan intelligence work, was in the hands of the Tokko, along with criminal research of civil police. The department also had the control of traffic and transit regulations in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

In 1926-28 the central government organized the "Peace Preservation Department" (an anti-subversive police section), and Peace Preservation Law (to prosecute communists, who proposed a socialist form of government). Later, with the Imperial Way Faction party in government, the local police force in the capital, the Keishicho, was converted into a repressive instrument in the whole populous Tokyo area. It watched for political opposition (disloyal citizens, communists, etc.), alongside the services of Tonarigumi neighbourhood informants and the Tokko regulars. Enemy aircraft over cities and vessels on the coasts were also watched.

During wartime, Civil law enforcement, courts and judges, were very busy with "speculators" who surged in numbers rapidly. Police authorities created "Economic Police" units to pursue black market activity.

Was report by Joseph Newman, an American journalist why Japanese civil police service was poses some American and other foreign cars equipped with wireless telegraph, antennas, electronic and radio devices, for conducted mobile watching in regular criminal cases, spying at political oposers or keeped at very important personalities in visit to nation during wartimes. himself supposed why such equipment was utilised by Tokko police service also in metropolitan areas.

[edit] Standard weapons of civil police forces

Standard arms were:

[edit] Command of civil police forces

For Tokyo Governor Office Administration:

  • Juzo Nishio - Governor of the Tokyo metropolitan area

For the Home Affairs Ministry:

For the Justice Ministry:

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