1. What Are Koban Officers Responsible For When No Crime Is Happening?
When you open the door of a koban to ask, "Which way is the station?", you are engaging with one part of police work. At the same time, somewhere in Japan, an emergency call may be ringing. Koban officers must handle both situations.
The duties of the police are written in Article 2 of the Police Act. The first duty listed is "the protection of individuals' lives, bodies, and property." After this come preventing crimes, investigating crimes that have occurred, arresting suspects, and controlling traffic [1]. The law places the duty to protect people before listing investigation or arrests.
Among these broad duties, the koban is what we see most closely. Besides responding to incidents and patrolling, officers at kobans also give directions, accept lost items, protect lost children, and consult on local problems [2][3]. Even during times without crimes, there is plenty of work. So, how does a day pass at a koban?
According to Article 2 of the Police Act, police responsibilities include protecting lives and property, preventing and suppressing crimes, investigating crimes, arresting suspects, controlling traffic, and maintaining public safety and order [1].
2. Why Does a Koban That Is Open All Night Sometimes Look Empty?
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, koban officers work in shifts 24 hours a day in principle [2]. This is a system where people in trouble can rush to a place that is open, even at midnight.
Their tasks include responding to incidents and accidents, patrolling, giving directions, handling lost items, and consulting on local worries [2]. There is also a duty called "jun-kai ren-raku" (patrol contact), where officers visit homes and companies to ask if there are any problems [2]. Guiding youths and controlling traffic are also listed as koban duties [3].
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department calls patrol cars "moving kobans" [3]. Since officers going out to patrol the town is part of their job, if a koban looks empty, they may be on patrol or responding to a scene. However, this is an inference based on their duties; it is not directly explained in the Q&A.
3. Are All Calls to the 110 Emergency Line Urgent?
In 2024 (Reiwa 6), there were about 10.6 million calls received on the 110 line nationwide. The Police White Paper states this equals one call every 3.0 seconds [4]. Dividing 10.6 million by the number of seconds in a year (about 31.54 million) confirms the figure is around 3 seconds.
With so many calls, the content varies widely. According to the Aichi Prefectural Police, there were 686,272 calls to 110 in 2025 (Reiwa 7), which is one call every 46 seconds. Of these, 22.3%—or 153,031 calls—were non-urgent consultations or inquiries about driver's licenses [5]. This 22.3% figure applies only to Aichi Prefecture, not the whole country.
The Aichi Prefectural Police asks people to use the consultation line "#9110," which they provide for non-urgent matters [5]. This keeps the 110 line open for those who need help right now. Problems do not only reach police by phone; wallets and umbrellas found on the street are brought to kobans.
4. Do About 4.5 Million Lost Items Really Get Reported in Tokyo Alone?
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, about 4.5 million lost items were reported in Tokyo in 2025 (Reiwa 7) [6]. This calculates to about 12,000 items per day (an estimate by dividing 4.5 million by 365).
By category, there were about 820,000 identification documents like licenses and insurance cards, about 470,000 securities, and about 460,000 items of clothing and footwear [6]. The total is counted in "cases," while categories are counted in "items." Since one case may contain multiple items, you cannot simply divide the 4.5 million cases by these item counts. Also, this is a figure for Tokyo, not the whole country.
Bringing a wallet or ticket found on the street to a koban might seem like a detour. Still, having a place where owners can retrieve their belongings is one way to help the community feel safer.
5. Did Kobans Start as Places to Stand Without Buildings?
The origin of koban dates to 1874 (Meiji 7), when the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was established. At that time, "koban-sho" were designated as places where police officers stood in shifts [7]. Initially, only locations were specified; there were no buildings. Facilities were decided upon later in August of the same year [7]. The act of police officers standing came first; buildings were added afterward.
In 1881 (Meiji 14), "koban-sho" changed their name to "hashutsusho." In 1888 (Meiji 21), hashutsusho were established nationwide, and at the same time, chuzai-sho (residential posts) were set up. This is considered the prototype of today's community police [7].
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department explains the difference between koban and chuzai-sho. Chuzai-sho are mainly in rural areas, where in principle, one officer lives there with their family. Kobans are mainly in urban areas, where multiple officers take turns guarding [3].
As of April 1, 2004 (Heisei 16), there were 6,509 koban locations and 7,592 chuzai-sho locations nationwide, totaling about 14,000 locations. This was about five times the number of municipalities in Japan [7]. These are old figures, not current ones.
6. What Limits Does the Law Place on Police Power Despite Their Wide Duties?
Although police work is broad, the law does not say they can do "anything." Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Police Act states that police activities are strictly limited to the scope of their duties mentioned earlier. It also requires them to be impartial and not biased toward any specific political party. Furthermore, they must not infringe on individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, nor abuse their authority [1].
Reading this article shows that familiar tasks like patrolling and consultations are carried out within the purpose of "protecting the safety and freedom of local people." Broad duties and limits on power go hand in hand.
7. How Can We Look at Our Local Koban With Its Work in Mind?
Try finding a koban or chuzai-sho near your home on a map. Comparing the distance from school or the station helps you imagine which area the officers cover.
When walking past a koban, look from the outside at how notices and maps are posted. Enter only when you have a purpose, such as asking for directions or turning in a lost item.
Search your prefecture's police website for consultation windows for non-urgent matters. Check if your area has a number like Aichi's "#9110." Never call 110 to practice.
Remember: 110 is a line for actual emergencies.