(3) Koban 交番: police boxes

Note: this post was referenced as a resource in the book, Law and Justice in Japanese Popular Culture: From Crime Fighting Robots to Duelling Pocket Monsters 日本の大衆文化に見る法と正義 (Amazon) (Google Books) (Kinokuniya)

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Koban 交番 are police boxes or small police stations that occupy street corners throughout Tokyo. I’ve never used a koban other than asking for directions as a tourist (once), and handing in a found cell phone (once). There are over 1200 koban in Tokyo (source); a list, with addresses, of Tokyo koban can be found here: Navitime

Here are some that I’ve encountered:

Hard at work in Shibuya:

An empty koban, late at night:

Akasaka:

Scene from a koban in in the 1960’s; see YouTube video around the 12:17 mark. (For more about these films, see: Films of 1950’s and 1960’s Japan, via an old Dutch man).

The Saginomiya Eki-mae koban 鷺ノ宮駅前交番,  at right, next to the Seibu-Shinjuku line, west of Saginomiya Station 鷺ノ宮駅 (map):

The oldest koban in Tokyo, located in Tsukishima (map):

Oldest police box in operation
Thanks @Jpncamerahunter pic.twitter.com/5KgwOQDC82

— Being Tokyo (@beingtokyo) November 20, 2016

And a wonderfully-designed police box outside Chofu station, which was demolished circa 2007:

A brilliant koban at the old Chofu Station. demolished around 2007, I believe.https://t.co/xBcpwt0OCI pic.twitter.com/xrzwS4P3Q9

— the tokyo files (@thetokyofiles) July 5, 2016

The ubiquity and small size of koban help to make the police seem more friendly; there is something cute about the tiny little buildings with their spare furnishings. In addition to koban, the police cultivate a friendly image through use of cartoon characters. Tokyo has the ubiquitous Pipo-kun, and nearby Saitama has Poppo-kun ポッポくん and ポポ美ちゃん, which are a type of dove シラコバト:

Do the ubiquitous koban (and cute police mascots) help explain Tokyo’s famously safe streets?

See also:

General koban information:

• Koban unwrapped: Tokyo’s colorful police boxes (CNN Travel)
• Origins of the word ‘koban’: As noted in a recent Japan Times article (“The stories behind familiar Japanese words“),  early koban were staffed by a rotating group of three men. The word 交番 derives from the idea of the exchanging (交代する) of the guards (番).

Crime in Tokyo:

• Tokyo crime maps 東京犯罪情報マップ

Koban historical pictures:

• Movie review: Japanese Cinema: Police Station Diary 風流交番日記 (1955)
• Koban outside Shinjuku Station, East Exit, circa 1955

Old-fashioned crime-prevention and police history:

• Statue of a Meiji-era night watchman (link)
• Old-fashioned night watchmen (fuchinban; 不寝番, I think) would clap wooden sticks/clappers 拍子木 (hyōshigi) (source 1) and call-out “hi no yojin” 火の用心, meaning “beware of fire” (source 2, source 3); this action is called yomiwari 夜廻り “night rounds” (source 4)
• SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT: Yomawari (The Japan Times)
  
• Japan’s Women Police, 1946 and beyond

Mascots and other:

• Japan’s Police Mascots (Gaijin pot)
• ポッポくん・ポポ美ちゃん紹介ページ Poppo-kun & Popomi-chan introduction
• Mascots in team photos: “This is the police force’s Poppo-kun, who research indicates also has a lady friend, Popomi-chan, to assist in law enforcement-related promotional duties.”
• A short-story idea that’s been in my head for some time: a story about a non-Japanese person who starts working at a koban…getting overwhelmed on an unusually busy night. I know there’s a good story there somewhere!
• Police, fire, earthquakes, and emergencies (Funny Japanese street signs)