In Japan, there’s a special place called a Koban. You can find them all over the country, on many street corners. They’re very important because they help keep Japan safe.
A Koban is like a small police station. People go there when they need help or when something dangerous happens. The police at the Koban work hard to keep everything peaceful and safe. This helps everyone in the community feel secure.
Because of the Koban, Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. It has one of the lowest crime rates. So, next time you’re walking around in Japan and see a Koban, remember – it’s a big part of why Japan is such a safe place to live and visit!
What is Koban?
The name “Koban” (交番) means “take turns guarding,” and it refers to checkpoints, which are stations erected in strategic parts of the city where police officers work in shifts guarded 24 hours a day.
In Japan, there’s a special kind of small police station called a Koban. It’s the smallest part of the Japanese police system. Usually, a Koban is a tiny building with two floors. Up to 10 police officers work there.
You can find Koban in many places. They’re often near train stations, on busy shopping streets, or close to important government buildings. This makes it easy for people to find help when they need it.
There are a lot of Koban in Japan. In 2014, there were 12,807 Koban all over the country. By May 2019, there were 826 Koban just in Tokyo! So, if you’re ever in Japan and need help, look for the nearest Koban. The friendly police officers there will be ready to assist you.
Koban’s foundation and development history
Koban’s precursor was Kobansho (交番所). Formerly, Kobansho was founded in 1874, afterwards called as “Hashutsujo” (派出所), alluding to the nearby police station. In 1994, Hashutsujo was renamed Koban.
The idea of building Koban started during a time in Japan called the Meiji period. Back then, a man from Germany named Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Höhn was helping the Japanese government. He traveled all over Japan, from Aomori to Kagoshima, and suggested that they needed more police to keep an eye on both city and country areas.
So, the government decided to create a big, centralized police force, kind of like what they have in Europe. This group of police officers works all day and all night to help and protect the people who live there.
Over time, this system changed and became what we now know as the Koban. Other countries around the world saw how well it worked in Japan and decided to try it out too. Even countries in Asia and Latin America are using the Koban system.
For example, in Brazil, the Sao Paulo state police department decided to use the Koban system in 1997. Since then, many cities in Brazil have started using this system, and it’s been working really well. In fact, the crime rate has been going down ever since they started using it!
Koban’s Interesting Facts
In Japan, there are small police stations called Koban. The people who work there are usually men, either young or old. It’s not common to see female police officers in Koban, especially in the suburbs of Tokyo, and they don’t work at night.
Each Koban has a team of four police officers. Three of them do the work while a sergeant watches over them. They work in shifts, each lasting eight hours, and the local police station keeps an eye on them.
The main job of the Koban police is to keep the neighborhood safe. They patrol the area, help solve crimes, and are there to help during accidents or natural disasters. But they do more than that. They give directions, look after lost kids, keep lost items safe, help lost people find their way, and even listen to people’s worries.
The Koban police also speak English, so they can talk to tourists from other countries. They’re always friendly and polite, making everyone feel safe and comfortable.
In the countryside, instead of Koban, there are places called “Chuzaisho – 駐在所”. This is where a police officer and his family live and work all the time. In big cities, there are more Koban because there are more people. The more people there are, the more Koban you’ll find. Tokyo has the most Koban in Japan. You can find one every 1 km!
Epilogue
Usually at Koban, there are signs of the Japanese police and buildings built in the style of a solid two-story office building. Today, Koban is designed with many new and unique images, creating a feeling of closeness and friendliness and making it easy to find. Koban is now a place that attracts people to come and create its own unique features in the security system originating in Japan.
