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Hurray for Japanese Cops

2013/10/11
 
 

"What occupation do you want to take up when you grow up?" -- asking Japanese elementary school boys in a survey in 2013, their top three answers were soccer player as No.1, and police officer/detective shared the No.2 position with scholar/doctor. Police officer is now popular even among children. Their successful performance is often featured on many TV programs; one well-known of which is "警察24時 けいさつ24じ(Police 24 hours)"

It seems that on the Internet, Japanese police officers are often talked about as being very kind among non-Japanese users on video clip sharing sites, where the police officers are seen dealing very politely with drunks or traffic offenders. Sometimes those police officers are kindly lecturers to them.
Police officer has gained popularity from people as a dependable figure to maintain the security of life.

Japan has small police stations, called 交番(Koban), especially near train stations or in cities where crowds gather, serving not only to maintain public order and security but also helping people in their neighborhood in ways "close to their heart," from providing directions to serving as Lost and Found for the general public. "こまったときは交番へ(when you are in trouble, go to Koban);" under that slogan, they have built a relationship and trust with the public or residents over a long course of time.
However, it is true that as misconducts of police officers have been reported recently in the media, public trust and confidence in the police wavers.

Meanwhile, a police officer attracted a lot of attention in Japan.
It was during the period of a World Cup Asian qualifier. On a night when the Japanese national soccer team won, the busy "scramble" crossing in Shibuya was swarmed with its overjoyed supporters causing chaos on the street. There he called their attention very kindly from the roof of a police car to the importance of law and order...in a very humorous way. So humorous that the supporters began to screa"おまわりさん (to call the police officer in a friendly Japanese)" repeatedly with delight. This phenomenon became buzz on Twitter and over the Internet, nicknaming him as "DJ police." He was given the Superintendent General's award, an honorable award for his contribution to regaining confidence in the police and enhancing its friendly image to the public.

Nothing but continued effort by Japanese police officers could make Japan a very safe country in the world. I would like them to keep up the good work so that Japan would be called the safest in the world.

Of course, you won't want to get involved in any police matter, but if you have trouble in Japan, the first thing to do is to call the police. You should depend on Japanese police.