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June 14, 2026
 

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NPA

Self-storage units and rental containers can be used by lone wolf attackers as a place to store gunpowder or as a workshop to make dangerous goods.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2026
Police in Japan seek to cooperate with businesses over lone-wolf attacks
The aim is to collect information that point to signs of individuals making firearms or explosives alone, including unusual smells and noises, to help prevent terrorist attacks.
National Police Agency Commissioner-General Yoshinobu Kusunoki speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 4, 2026
Japan confirms more cases of Saga police DNA misconduct
A report from the National Police Agency said the agency can¡¯t rule out the possibility that investigations were negatively affected in 37 cases.
In 2025, people in their 20s and younger accounted for more than 70% of all cannabis-related police action.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Cannabis use grows among young people in Japan, especially in Tokyo
Tokyo recorded the highest number of cannabis-related cases among all prefectures in 2025, with 1,139 people processed by the MPD.
A new agreement between the National Police Agency and nine major banks will allow prefectural police to inquire about specific bank accounts thought to be involved in fraud schemes and quickly freeze them.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 28, 2026
NPA inks agreement with major Japan banks to hasten special fraud response
The shift from physical mail to digital requests will allow authorities to freeze accounts receiving fraud proceeds more quickly.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi receives a policy recommendation document from Takayuki Kobayashi (center left), head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Headquarters for Intelligence Strategy, in March at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 14, 2026
Government ramps up push to enhance intelligence capabilities
As a first step, the government plans to establish a national intelligence bureau as early as July.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has set up a special task force to intensify its crackdown on the Kohei-ikka, a Sumiyoshi-kai-affiliated designated crime group suspected of deepening its involvement with <i>³ÙŽÇ°ì³Ü°ù²âš±</i> networks, including special fraud linked to illegal job schemes.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 23, 2026
Yakuza membership fell to record low in 2025
Authorities attribute the decline to an aging population within the criminal groups, tighter enforcement and a nationwide rollout of anti-gang ordinances.
Hairstyle examples shown follow the relaxation of hair regulations at police academies.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 21, 2026
Japan¡¯s police force eases academy rules in bid to attract fresh faces
The move comes amid declining recruitment numbers fueled by the image of police academies being too strict.
A handbook for crime victims prepared by the National Police Agency is intended to reduce the burden placed on them by having to repeatedly explain about their experiences in later dealings with authorities and support organizations.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 9, 2026
Police launch handbook so victims don¡¯t have to repeatedly recount crimes
The introduction of the handbook was included in the fifth basic plan for supporting crime victims and their families, which was adopted at a Cabinet meeting last month.
U.S. service members conduct early morning security rounds at the Cryptologic Operations Center in Misawa, Japan. Japan needs its own central agency to integrate signal and human intelligence, as well as open-source and cyber data, to produce actionable analysis.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 8, 2026
Japan¡¯s intelligence overhaul is overdue, not ominous
Japan¡¯s planned reforms would upgrade the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) into a national intelligence bureau.
Members of Japanese organized gangs made up around 15% of those arrested for selling cannabis and 22% of those cultivating it.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 3, 2026
Arrests over marijuana use hit record high in Japan
The figure of 6,832 has more than doubled from 2017, when it was 3,008.
The National Police Agency has issued guidelines calling for resource sharing and more flexibility to address rising specialized and international crimes and police staffing challenges.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 2, 2026
Japan¡¯s police agency to promote reform to tackle more specialized, global crime
The guidelines call for equipment and personnel to be shared across police departments and for a review of the division of roles between headquarters and stations.
Police in Japan handled 1,546 stalking cases in 2025, up 205 from the previous year and the highest since the anti-stalking law was enacted in 2000.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 19, 2026
Stalking cases hit record high in Japan in 2025
Police handled 1,546 cases of stalking last year, up by 205 from the preceding year.
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, with some cases targeting large companies, a report by the National Police Agency shows.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 12, 2026
Ransomware attacks reported in Japan number 226 in 2025
Although some 60% of the victims were small and midsize companies, there were cases in which serious damage was inflicted on large companies.
The National Police Agency headquarters in Tokyo. The agency is requesting thorough security measures at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and U.S. consulates and military bases across Japan, as well as locations linked to Israel and Jewish communities nationwide.
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2026
Police to enhance security at U.S. and Israel-related facilities in Japan
In light of Iran¡¯s suggestion of retaliation, Japan¡¯s police departments will reinforce their security posture while also working to prevent disturbances or unexpected incidents.
Regarding how people under age 20 became involved in <i>³ÙŽÇ°ì³Ü°ù²âš±</i>-related crimes, 26.7% said they joined through social media, according to the National Police Agency.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 26, 2026
Police took action against 1,322 young people linked to ³ÙŽÇ°ì³Ü°ù²âš± cases last year
A National Policy Agency official said it seemed those behind such groups gave roles with high risks of being caught to people under 20, ¡°effectively treating them as disposable.¡±
About 57% of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists in 2025 happened on sidewalks or crosswalks, police figures show.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2026
Japan logs record-high pedestrian-cyclist accidents in 2025
The number of accidents rose by 226 from the previous year, hitting the highest level on record since 2006.
A former police employee in Saga Prefecture is suspected of not taking appropriate steps during investigations, such as neglecting to conduct tests to identify specific individuals despite human DNA having been detected.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 13, 2026
Improper DNA analyses may have affected Saga police probes in 19 cases
A total of 643 cases handled by a former employee from 2015 to 2024 are currently being investigated by the NPA.
Police officers stand by as people wait for a campaign speech by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of the House of Representatives election, at Rekisen Park in Tokyo on Saturday. Police discovered 336 problematic posts through internet monitoring conducted as part of their efforts to prevent attacks by lone offenders.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2026
336 online posts hinting attacks found during Lower House race
Police discovered the posts through internet monitoring conducted as part of their efforts to prevent attacks by lone offenders.
Police officers warn against special fraud cases during a crime prevention event in Tokyo in December.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 12, 2026
Fraud soars to record high in Japan as scam tactics grow more sophisticated
Combined losses from special fraud, romance and social-media based investment scams soared to a record ?324.11 billion in 2025.
A total of 337 police officers and personnel were disciplined across Japan in 2025, up 98 from the previous year for its first rise in three years and marking a decade high, according to a National Police Agency tally released Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 5, 2026
337 police personnel disciplined in Japan in 2025
The figure grew by 98 from the previous year for its first rise in three years, notching a decade high.
Emperor Naruhito seeks public backing for an imperial family plan
Emperor Naruhito speaks at a news conference about his upcoming visit to the Netherlands and Belgium, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Asics will spin off trendy shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger
Widely popularized by ¡°Kill Bill,¡± Onitsuka Tiger started as a sport shoe brand and later became a fashion trend under parent Asics.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
SMBC-backed Yes Bank sees Indians tip-toeing back to deposits
SMBC, part of Japan¡¯s second-largest banking group, became the top shareholder of India&#039;s Yes Bank with a 24.9% stake last year.
The $66 billion train seen fixing Australia¡¯s housing crisis
A train crosses Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia. Many people don&#039;t believe the bullet train vision, which has a history of false starts, will materialize.
TV Tairiku Ondo channels the chaotic creativity of youth
The members of TV Tairiku Ondo ¡ª (from left) Harea Togari, Ryuji Chiyotani, Kotaro Suzuki and Hiroto Yanagawa ¡ª met as high school students in Sapporo and went viral in 2024 with an energetic 90-second track.
Japan aiming to live up to heightened expectations with deep run at World Cup
Japan&#039;s Daichi Kamada celebrates after scoring against Bolivia during a friendly at Tokyo&#039;s National Stadium in November.
¡®All of a Sudden¡¯: A tender triumph from Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Virginie Efira (left) and Tao Okamoto play two women in crisis drawn together by happenstance in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden.¡±
In Japan, Nepalese students navigate a growing study-to-work pathway
Dipu Tamang from Nepal is among more than 400,000 international students in Japan.
Could Hoshoryu be the last Mongolian yokozuna?
Hoshoryu attends a Japan Sumo Association event in Tokyo in September 2025.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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