Law & Justice

Police

Local Police

Locally organized and administered police forces with jurisdiction within their town or city.

Tokko

National civil police force that operate under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Tokko specialize primarily in suppression of political groups and ideologies that the state wants controlled or purged. They were founded in 1911 to deal with communists and other internal threats

Kenpeitai & Tokkeitai

The Kenpeitai and their smaller navy counterpart the Tokkeitai are military secret police forces that deal with any and all threats internal or abroad that local police or even the Tokko are not equipped to handle.

Courts and Punishment

Japan has a three tier court system: District Court, High Court, and the Supreme Court

Each side in any case will have a lawyer, whether they are hired, provided by the state, or attorneys on behalf of the government. All cases are decided by the judge, and there is no option for a jury like in the United States.

The process of a criminal court hearing heavily favors the police. In the view of the state, the police are agents of a divinely blessed governmental organization, and therefore their words and evidence is taken into higher account. Alternatively in civil cases, each party will in theory have even standing, though money and power sometimes may be a corrupting factor on certain less scrupulous judges.

Punishment for civil cases is usually limited to a fine, or order to make a situation right in a way particular to the case. However a criminal case opens up more potential punishments, including prison time, and in egregious cases, or as punishment for transgressions against the state, torture may also be administered.

Notable Statutes

Statutes are legislation that is passed by the Imperial Diet and enforced by the Ministerial Office.While there are many many more statues than what is listed below, these are notable due to how they reflect the unique culture of the nation, and priorities of the state in the modern era.

Peace Preservation Law of 1925

This statute outlawed the Japanese communist party in response to their growing influence and membership after a series of rice riots several years prior. It also strengthened the police's ability to suppress political assemblies believed to be "disruptive". It also outlaws

National Spiritual Mobilization Law of 1938

Made in response to the Second Sino-Japanese War an, this statute gives the government power to have greater control over the economy to implement price controls, rationing, nationalization of key industry, greater control of press, the prohibition of labor unions, and the unlimited power to subsidize the war industry.