Japan

National Police Agency for Japan

Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) supervises and controls the police activities of 47 Prefectural Police Departments and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The NPA is composed of 7,700 officials, comprising 1,900 police officers, 900 Imperial Guards and 4,900 civilians.

The NPA is headed by a Commissioner General who, with the approval of the Prime Minister, is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission (NPSC), a state body which holds the rank of Ministry of State, guarantees the neutrality of the police, and administers the NPA.

NPA duties include:

• Dealing with natural disasters, emergencies and civil unrest;
• Tackling organized crime;
• Vehicle and road administration;
• Assisting in international crime investigations;
• Imperial Guard (protection of the Japanese Imperial families);
• Police training;
• Police communications;
• Criminal identification;
• Inspection.

INTERPOL Tokyo

The INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Japan is part of the Organized Crime Department of the NPA’s Crime Investigative Bureau. Made up of seven units staffed by about 50 officers, and located at the NPA Headquarters, INTERPOL Tokyo is responsible for all domestic investigations requiring outreach with the law enforcement agencies of the INTERPOL member countries.

Cracking down on transnational crime

INTERPOL Tokyo works closely with all INTERPOL member countries in preventing and investigating transnational crime and in having fugitives arrested.

In an effort to tackle the globalization of crime, INTERPOL Tokyo actively cooperates with overseas law enforcement entities in exchanging key information.  The NCB has the capacity to do this through INTERPOL or via diplomatic and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) channels.

Because international criminal organizations such as the Pink Panthers and Bakusetsudan perpetrate their crimes on a global scale, INTERPOL Tokyo works with partner law enforcement agencies across the globe, carrying out active transnational operations with INTERPOL member countries when the need arises.

INTERPOL Tokyo regularly hosts international conferences for the benefit of the INTERPOL community, especially with its partners in Asia and the Pacific.