Japan ups security for ‘koban’ police boxes after violent attacks on officers

Japan has a low crime rate but in the past 16 months, four officers have been attacked while in their police boxes, mostly through stabbings although one attacker used a hammer

While attacks on police are not common, enhanced security measures will include installation of CCTVs and reinforcing barriers to stop ramming attacks

Reading Time:3 minutes

The koban, which is a compound of the Japanese words for “rotation” and “standing watch”, ensures a visible police presence in many towns and cities, credited as a major factor in the nation’s low crime rate. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 10:00am, 15 Oct 2019Updated: 10:44pm, 15 Oct 2019

Japanese police will introduce a range of new security measures at the network of over 6,000 koban police boxes across the country after a series of attacks resulted in the deaths of two officers.

Koban is a compound of the Japanese words for “rotation” and “standing watch”. These facilities ensure a visible police presence in many towns and cities, which is credited as a major factor in the nation’s low crime rate. In the past 16 months, though, there have been four incidents of intruders assaulting uniformed officers.

In June, Suzunosuke Kose, 26, was stabbed in the chest and legs and left in a coma outside a koban in the city of Suita after two of his colleagues responded to an emergency call that turned out to be a false alarm. The following day, officers apprehended 33-year-old Yujiro Iimori about 8km from the scene.

Police discovered a knife and Kose’s loaded pistol in his backpack. Iimori, registered as being mentally disabled, denied attacking the officer.

Former soldier Keita Shimazu was charged with murder after fatally stabbing officer Kenichi Inaizumi in a police box in Toyama. Photo: EPA

In January, a university student used a hammer to attack a senior police officer at a koban in the city of Toyama, southern Japan. He was later charged with robbery and attempted murder.