The Security Police is the
close protection division of the
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
The serves as the prefectural police department of Tokyo Metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a Superintendent-General, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission, and approved by the Prime Minister.
The Tokyo Metro ...
.
Under the Security Bureau of the TMPD, the division is responsible for protecting domestic and foreign dignitaries on Japanese soil and abroad.
The division's agents are commonly known as .
The word "SP" is a loanword used in the Japanese law enforcement system, based on the badge worn by the agents.
![警視庁警護員記章](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/%E8%AD%A6%E8%A6%96%E5%BA%81%E8%AD%A6%E8%AD%B7%E5%93%A1%E8%A8%98%E7%AB%A0.jpg)
The division does not protect the
Imperial Family
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pap ...
as they have their own dedicated division, the Imperial Protection Division.
History
After an assassination attempt against then-
US Ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer
Edwin Oldfather Reischauer (; October 15, 1910 – September 1, 1990) was an American diplomat, educator, and professor at Harvard University. Born in Tokyo to American educational missionaries, he became a leading scholar of the history and cul ...
in 1964, the chairman of the
National Public Safety Commission was pressured to resign.
It was not until June 18, 1975 when then-Prime Minister
Takeo Miki
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1974 until 1976.
Early life and family
Takeo Miki was born on 17 March 1907, in Gosho, Tokushima Prefecture (present-day Awa, Tokushima), the only child of farmer-merchant H ...
was attacked publicly by the
Greater Japan Patriotic Party
The , frequently abbreviated to Aikokutō (愛国党, ''Aikokutō''), is a Japanese political party and Uyoku dantai, far-right political group. It was created in 1951 by Right-wing politics, right-wing Ultranationalism, ultranationalist Bin Akao, ...
Secretary General Hiroyoshi Fudeyasu
that the
National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries:
*Afghanistan: Afghan National Police
*Haiti: Haitian National Police
*Colombia: National Police of Colombia
*Cuba: Cuban National Police
*East Timor: National Police of E ...
ordered the formation of the division.
The new unit was based on the
US Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
.
The unit celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015.
After the
assassination of Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan and a serving member of the House of Representatives, was assassinated on 8 July 2022 while speaking at a political event outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Whil ...
, SP officers were deployed to protect
Akie Abe
Akie Abe (, ''Abe Akie''; née Matsuzaki; born 10 June 1962) is a Japanese radio DJ and the widow of Shinzo Abe, who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.
Early life
Abe was born . She is from a wea ...
after she arrived in Kyoto as a precautionary measure.
Scandals
On November 11, 2021, a SP officer was arrested for allegedly breaking into a womens-only condominium building.
Duties
The division is mandated to provide close protection duties for the following people:
#
Prime Minister of Japan
The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...
# Ministers of State
#
Chief Justice of Japan
The is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Japan and is the head of the judicial branch of the Japanese government.
The Chief Justice is ceremonially appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being nominated by the Cabinet
Cabinet or The C ...
#
President of the House of Councillors
The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The President is elected by members of the Ho ...
#
Speaker of the House of Representatives
# Governor of
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
# Foreign VIPs such as heads of states, ambassadors, etc.
# Other VIPs designated by the Commissioner General of the
National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries:
*Afghanistan: Afghan National Police
*Haiti: Haitian National Police
*Colombia: National Police of Colombia
*Cuba: Cuban National Police
*East Timor: National Police of E ...
Although it is not mandated, the division protects the Vice Speaker of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, the Vice President of the
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, ...
, and major party leaders.
Retired prime ministers may be considered for SP protection. This is provided at the discretion of the National Police Agency.
Immediate family members of the Prime Minister do not have a permanent security detail, as they only receive protection during official duties or if they are with the Prime Minister.
Organization
The division is structured in the following way:
*Director
*Department Chief
*General Clerk
**Section 1
***Mobile Security Squad
**Section 2
***Mobile Security Squad
**Section 3
***Mobile Security Squad
**Section 4
***Mobile Security Squad
Section 1 is mandated to protect the
Prime Minister of Japan
The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...
. Section 2 protects the Ministers of State, Speaker of the
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, ...
and the President of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. Section 3 is known to conduct duties on guarding foreign VIPs such as ambassadors and heads of state while Section 4 are to protect the
Chief Justice of Japan
The is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Japan and is the head of the judicial branch of the Japanese government.
The Chief Justice is ceremonially appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being nominated by the Cabinet
Cabinet or The C ...
, the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, and others qualified for protection such as the Vice President of the
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, ...
, the Vice Speaker of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, and party leaders.
In operations where SPs are deployed to other cities/towns in Japan and overseas, SP officers usually liaise with the local police in order to set up security for an incoming VIP or to scout potential locations where the VIP may visit.
Requirements
![Mercedes-Benz W221 S600 long security police](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Mercedes-Benz_W221_S600_long_security_police.JPG)
SP officers start out as an ordinary police officer, and must serve in the police for five years and have the rank of Sergeant in order to be a candidate.
Moreover, candidates are required to be more than 5 feet 8 inches tall (173 cm) (for male candidates),
achieve at least a third
dan
Dan or DAN may refer to:
People
* Dan (name), including a list of people with the name
** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark
* Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa
**Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
in at least one martial art, and have a high level of marksmanship.
SP candidates also need to speak English.
Both male and female police officers can qualify for joining the division.
Equipment
Officers are mostly armed with handguns and expandable batons during their duties. A
mini flashlight and a
transceiver
In radio communication, a transceiver is an electronic device which is a combination of a radio ''trans''mitter and a re''ceiver'', hence the name. It can both transmit and receive radio waves using an antenna, for communication purposes. The ...
is also in their list of equipment.
Sometimes they used unmarked cars for transport and escort. They have used
Mercedes-Benz S600,
Toyota Crown
The is an automobile which has been produced by Toyota in Japan since 1955. It is primarily a line of mid-size luxury cars that is marketed as an upmarket offering in the Toyota lineup.
Introduced in 1955 as the Toyopet Crown, it has served ...
,
Nissan Teana
The is a mid-size sedan produced by Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was exported as the Nissan Maxima and Nissan Cefiro to certain markets. It replaces the Nissan Bluebird, Laurel and Cefiro. It shares a platform with the Nissan Ma ...
,
Nissan Elgrand
The is a minivan manufactured by Nissan Shatai for Nissan since 1997, available in three generations, with model codes E50 (1997–2002), E51 (2002–2010), and E52 (2010–present). The E50 Elgrand was also configured and produced as a light ...
, and
Toyota HiAce
The (pronounced "High Ace") is a light commercial vehicle produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. First launched in October 1967, the HiAce has since been available in a wide range of body configurations, including a minivan/ ...
.
The officers carry mostly the NPA-issued
Smith & Wesson Model 37 revolver, or the
SIG P230
The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .32 ACP or .380 Auto. It was designed by SIG Sauer of Eckernförde, Germany. It was imported into the United States by SIGARMS in 1985. In 1996 it was replaced by the model P232.
...
semi-automatic pistol. Officers can also be seen armed with pistols such as the
Beretta 92
The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...
,
Glock 17
Glock is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H., Glock Ges.m.b.H. The ...
or
Heckler & Koch P2000
The Heckler & Koch P2000 is a German semi-automatic pistol introduced late in 2001 and intended primarily for law enforcement, paramilitary, and commercial markets. It is based on the USP Compact pistol. The P2000 was designed specifically with im ...
.
Notes
# Each of these sections are led by a Section Chief.
References
Bibliography
*
{{commons category, Security Police (Japan)
Protective security units
Police units of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department