Editing Japan (section)

==Government and politics==
{{Main|Emperor of Japan|Government of Japan|Politics of Japan|Law of Japan}}
[[File:Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako cropped Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako 20191110 1.jpg|thumb|[[Emperor Naruhito]], current head of state, and [[Empress Masako]] participated in the [[:ja:祝賀御列の儀|Imperial Procession by motorcar after the Ceremony of the Enthronement]] in [[Tōkyō Metropolis|Tokyo]] on November 10, 2019.]]
Japan is a [[unitary state]] and [[constitutional monarchy]] in which the power of the [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]] (''Tennō'') is limited to a [[ceremonial head of state|ceremonial role]].<ref name=euparl>{{cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI%282020%29651951|publisher=European Parliament|title=Japan's Parliament and other political institutions|date=June 9, 2020|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019205439/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)651951|url-status=live}}</ref> Executive power is instead wielded by the [[Prime Minister of Japan]] and his [[Cabinet of Japan|Cabinet]], whose sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.<ref name="Constitution">{{cite web|url=http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html|title=The Constitution of Japan|publisher=Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet|date=November 3, 1946|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214104438/http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html|archivedate=December 14, 2013}}</ref> [[Naruhito]] is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his father [[Akihito]] upon his accession to the [[Chrysanthemum Throne]] in 2019.<ref name=euparl/>

[[File:Diet of Japan Kokkai 2009.jpg|thumb|The [[National Diet Building]]]]
Japan's legislative organ is the [[National Diet]], a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] [[parliament]].<ref name=euparl/> It consists of a lower [[House of Representatives (Japan)|House of Representatives]] with 465 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and an upper [[House of Councillors]] with 245 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms.<ref name=sec>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/837056/000119312520211213/d477441dex1.htm|publisher=US Securities and Exchange Commission|date=August 6, 2020|title=Japan|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106133727/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/837056/000119312520211213/d477441dex1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> There is [[universal suffrage]] for adults over 18 years of age,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2016/07/japan-youth-can-make-difference-new-voting-rights-u-n-envoy/|publisher=UN Envoy on Youth|title=Japan Youth Can Make Difference with New Voting Rights: UN Envoy|date=July 2016|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028222010/https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2016/07/japan-youth-can-make-difference-new-voting-rights-u-n-envoy/|url-status=live}}</ref> with a [[secret ballot]] for all elected offices.<ref name="Constitution" /> The prime minister as the [[head of government]] has the power to appoint and dismiss [[Ministers of State]], and is [[Imperial Investiture|appointed]] by the emperor after being designated from among the members of the Diet.<ref name=sec/> [[Shigeru Ishiba]] is Japan's prime minister; he took office after winning the [[2024 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) presidential election|2024 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ninivagi|first=Gabriele |title=Ishiba wins: An unusual result for an unusual election |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/27/japan/politics/ldp-presidential-election-analysis/|date=September 27, 2024 |work=The Japan Times|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930195331/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/27/japan/politics/ldp-presidential-election-analysis/ |archivedate=September 30, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> The broadly conservative [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]] has been the [[Dominant-party system|dominant party]] in the country since the 1950s, often called the [[1955 System]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Crespo|first=José Antonio|title=The Liberal Democratic Party in Japan: Conservative Domination|journal=[[International Political Science Review]]|volume=16|number=2|pages=199–209|date=April 1995|doi=10.1177/019251219501600206|jstor=1601459}}</ref>

Historically influenced by [[Chinese law]], the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as {{transliteration|ja|[[Kujikata Osadamegaki]]}}.<ref name=dean>{{cite book|last=Dean|first=Meryll|title=Japanese legal system: text, cases & materials|year=2002|publisher=Cavendish|isbn=978-1-85941-673-0|pages=55–58, 131|edition=2nd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt9jB5CjfRIC}}</ref> Since the late 19th century, [[judicial system of Japan|the judicial system]] has been largely based on the [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] of Europe, notably Germany. In 1896, Japan established a [[civil code]] based on the German [[Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch]], which remains in effect with post–World War II modifications.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kanamori|first=Shigenari|title=German influences on Japanese Pre-War Constitution and Civil Code|journal=European Journal of Law and Economics|date=January 1, 1999|volume=7|issue=1|pages=93–95|doi=10.1023/A:1008688209052}}</ref> The [[Constitution of Japan]], adopted in 1947, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world.<ref name="anomalous-constitution">{{cite news|last=McElwain|first=Kenneth Mori|title=The Anomalous Life of the Japanese Constitution|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a05602/the-anomalous-life-of-the-japanese-constitution.html|date=August 15, 2017|website=Nippon.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811213143/https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a05602/the-anomalous-life-of-the-japanese-constitution.html|url-status=live|archivedate=August 11, 2019}}</ref> Statutory law originates in the legislature, and the constitution requires that the emperor promulgate legislation passed by the Diet without giving him the power to oppose legislation. The main body of Japanese statutory law is called the [[Six Codes]].<ref name=dean/> Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the [[Supreme Court of Japan|Supreme Court]] and three levels of lower courts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/judiciary/0620system.html|publisher=Office of the Prime Minister of Japan|title=The Japanese Judicial System|date=July 1999|archive-date=January 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116032711/http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/judiciary/0620system.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Administrative divisions===
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Japan|Prefectures of Japan}}
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, each overseen by an elected [[Governor (Japan)|governor]] and legislature.<ref name=euparl/> In the following table, the prefectures are grouped by [[List of regions of Japan|region]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e02_regions.pdf|title=Regions of Japan|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|accessdate=January 13, 2021|archive-date=January 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119041311/https://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e02_regions.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
{|
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Regions and Prefectures of Japan 2.svg|thumb|center|upright=1.3|Prefectures of Japan with colored regions]]
|style="padding-right:1em; padding-left:2em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">{{color box|#EF7979}} '''[[Hokkaido]]'''</div>
----
1.&nbsp;[[Hokkaido]]{{pb}}
|style="padding-right:1em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#EFE979}} [[Tōhoku region|Tōhoku]]'''</div>
----
2.&nbsp;[[Aomori Prefecture|Aomori]]{{pb}}
3.&nbsp;[[Iwate Prefecture|Iwate]]{{pb}}
4.&nbsp;[[Miyagi Prefecture|Miyagi]]{{pb}}
5.&nbsp;[[Akita Prefecture|Akita]]{{pb}}
6.&nbsp;[[Yamagata Prefecture|Yamagata]]{{pb}}
7.&nbsp;[[Fukushima Prefecture|Fukushima]]
|style="padding-right:1em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#87EF79}} [[Kantō region|Kantō]]'''</div>
----
8.&nbsp;[[Ibaraki Prefecture|Ibaraki]]{{pb}}
9.&nbsp;[[Tochigi Prefecture|Tochigi]]{{pb}}
10.&nbsp;[[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]{{pb}}
11.&nbsp;[[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]]{{pb}}
12.&nbsp;[[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]]{{pb}}
13.&nbsp;[[Tokyo]]{{pb}}
14.&nbsp;[[Kanagawa Prefecture|Kanagawa]]
|style="padding-right:1em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#79EFDB}} [[Chūbu region|Chūbu]]'''</div>
----
15.&nbsp;[[Niigata Prefecture|Niigata]]{{pb}}
16.&nbsp;[[Toyama Prefecture|Toyama]]{{pb}}
17.&nbsp;[[Ishikawa Prefecture|Ishikawa]]{{pb}}
18.&nbsp;[[Fukui Prefecture|Fukui]]{{pb}}
19.&nbsp;[[Yamanashi Prefecture|Yamanashi]]{{pb}}
20.&nbsp;[[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]]{{pb}}
21.&nbsp;[[Gifu Prefecture|Gifu]]{{pb}}
22.&nbsp;[[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka]]{{pb}}
23.&nbsp;[[Aichi Prefecture|Aichi]]
|-
|style="padding-right:1em; padding-left:2em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#9579EF}} [[Kansai]]'''</div>
----
24.&nbsp;[[Mie Prefecture|Mie]]{{pb}}
25.&nbsp;[[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]]{{pb}}
26.&nbsp;[[Kyoto Prefecture|Kyoto]]{{pb}}
27.&nbsp;[[Osaka Prefecture|Osaka]]{{pb}}
28.&nbsp;[[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyōgo]]{{pb}}
29.&nbsp;[[Nara Prefecture|Nara]]{{pb}}
30.&nbsp;[[Wakayama Prefecture|Wakayama]]
|style="padding-right:1em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#EFB179}} [[Chūgoku region|Chūgoku]]'''</div>
----
31.&nbsp;[[Tottori Prefecture|Tottori]]{{pb}}
32.&nbsp;[[Shimane Prefecture|Shimane]]{{pb}}
33.&nbsp;[[Okayama Prefecture|Okayama]]{{pb}}
34.&nbsp;[[Hiroshima Prefecture|Hiroshima]]{{pb}}
35.&nbsp;[[Yamaguchi Prefecture|Yamaguchi]]
|style="padding-right:1em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#CC79EF}} [[Shikoku]]'''</div>
----
36.&nbsp;[[Tokushima Prefecture|Tokushima]]{{pb}}
37.&nbsp;[[Kagawa Prefecture|Kagawa]]{{pb}}
38.&nbsp;[[Ehime Prefecture|Ehime]]{{pb}}
39.&nbsp;[[Kōchi Prefecture|Kōchi]]
|style="padding-right:1em; vertical-align:top;"|
<div class="center">'''{{color box|#B4B4B4}} [[Kyūshū]]'''</div>
----
40.&nbsp;[[Fukuoka Prefecture|Fukuoka]]{{pb}}
41.&nbsp;[[Saga Prefecture|Saga]]{{pb}}
42.&nbsp;[[Nagasaki Prefecture|Nagasaki]]{{pb}}
43.&nbsp;[[Kumamoto Prefecture|Kumamoto]]{{pb}}
44.&nbsp;[[Ōita Prefecture|Ōita]]{{pb}}
45.&nbsp;[[Miyazaki Prefecture|Miyazaki]]{{pb}}
46.&nbsp;[[Kagoshima Prefecture|Kagoshima]]{{pb}}
47.&nbsp;[[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]]
|}
<!--{{Japan Regions and Prefectures Labelled Map}}-->
{{clear}}

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Japan}}
[[File:G7 in het Catshuis.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Japan is a member of both the [[G7]] and the [[G-20 major economies|G20]].]]
A member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan is one of the [[G4 nations|G4 countries]] seeking reform of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2017/html/chapter3/c030105.html|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|title=Japan's Efforts at the United Nations (UN)|work=Diplomatic Bluebook 2017|accessdate=December 11, 2020|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214051435/https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2017/html/chapter3/c030105.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan is a member of the [[G7]], [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]], and "[[ASEAN Free Trade Area#ASEAN Plus Three|ASEAN Plus Three]]", and is a participant in the [[East Asia Summit]].<ref name=terada>{{cite book|url=https://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/PacificNation/Terada.pdf|last=Terada|first=Takashi|chapter=The United States and East Asian Regionalism|title=A Pacific Nation|editor1=Borthwick, Mark|editor2=Yamamoto, Tadashi|editor2-link=Tadashi Yamamoto|year=2011|isbn=978-4-88907-133-7|publisher=Japan Center for International Exchange|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106123037/https://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/PacificNation/Terada.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It is the world's [[List of development aid sovereign state donors|fifth-largest donor]] of [[official development assistance]], donating US$9.2&nbsp;billion in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistics from the Development Co-operation Report 2015|url=http://www.oecd.org/dac/japan.htm|publisher=OECD|accessdate=November 15, 2015|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123081241/http://www.oecd.org/dac/Japan.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, Japan had the [[List of countries by number of diplomatic missions|fourth-largest diplomatic network]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Diplomacy Index&nbsp;– Country Rank |url=https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/country_rank.html |accessdate=February 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Lowy Institute]] |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201012801/http://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/country_rank.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States, with which it maintains a [[Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan|security alliance]].<ref name=us-relations>{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-japan/|publisher=US Department of State|title=US Relations with Japan|date=January 21, 2020|archive-date=May 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503135404/https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The United States is a major market for Japanese exports and a major source of Japanese imports, and is committed to defending the country, with military bases in Japan.<ref name=us-relations/> In 2016, Japan announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which frames its regional policies.<ref>{{Cite web |last2=Hosoya |first1=Nicholas |last1=Szechenyi |first2=Yuichi |title=Working Toward a Free and Open Indo-Pacific |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2019/10/working-toward-a-free-and-open-indo-pacific?lang=en |access-date=May 8, 2024 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029041716/https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/10/working-toward-free-and-open-indo-pacific-pub-80023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Achieving the 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)' Vision: Japan Ministry of Defense's Approach |url=https://www.mod.go.jp/en/d_act/exc/india_pacific/india_pacific-en.html |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=Japan Ministry of Defence |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508095151/https://www.mod.go.jp/en/d_act/exc/india_pacific/india_pacific-en.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Japan is also a member of the [[Quadrilateral Security Dialogue]] ("the Quad"), a multilateral security dialogue reformed in 2017 aiming to limit Chinese influence in the [[Indo-Pacific]] region, along with the United States, Australia, and India.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep17325 |title=Japan, the Indo-Pacific, and the "Quad" |last=Chanlett-Avery |first=Emma |date=2018 |publisher=Chicago Council on Global Affairs }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Quad in the Indo-Pacific: What to Know |first=Sheila A. |last=Smith |date=May 27, 2021 |url=https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/quad-indo-pacific-what-know |accessdate=January 26, 2022 |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations |archive-date=May 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503162143/https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/quad-indo-pacific-what-know |url-status=live }}</ref>

Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors. Japan contests Russia's control of the [[Kuril Islands dispute|Southern Kuril Islands]], which were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/russia/territory/index.html|title=Japanese Territory, Northern Territories|date=April 4, 2014|publisher=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]]|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626202149/https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/russia/territory/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> South Korea's control of the [[Liancourt Rocks]] is acknowledged but not accepted as they are claimed by Japan.<ref name="takeshima">{{cite web|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/takeshima/index.html|title=Japanese Territory, Takeshima|date=July 30, 2014|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs|archive-date=June 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613022420/https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/takeshima/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has strained relations with China and Taiwan over the [[Senkaku Islands]] and the status of [[Okinotorishima]].<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1177/0920203X16665778|date=September 2016|title=The Senkaku Shoto/Diaoyu Islands and Okinotorishima disputes: Ideational and material influences|last=Fox|first=Senan|journal=China Information|volume=30|issue=3|pages=312–333}}</ref>

===Military===
{{Main|Japan Self-Defense Forces}}
[[File:US Navy 051115-N-8492C-125 The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer JDS Kongou (DDG 173) sails in formation with other JMSDF ships and ships assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group.jpg|thumb|[[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force|JMSDF]] [[Kongō-class destroyer|{{transliteration|ja|Kongō}}-class destroyer]]]]
Japan is the third highest-ranked Asian country in the 2024 [[Global Peace Index]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Global Peace Index |url=https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf|publisher=Institute for Economics & Peace|date=June 2024}}</ref> It spent 1.4% of its total GDP on [[Military budget of Japan|its defence budget]] and maintained the [[List of countries by military expenditures|tenth-largest military budget]] in the world in 2024.'''''<ref name="SIPRI-2020">{{Cite web |date=April 2025 |title=Trends in Military Expenditure 2024 |url=https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/2504_fs_milex_2024.pdf#page=2 |access-date=28 April 2025 |publisher=[[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]]}}</ref>''''' The country's military (the Japan Self-Defense Forces) is restricted by [[Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution]], which renounces Japan's right to declare war or use military force in international disputes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/japan-constitution/article9.php|publisher=Library of Congress|title=Japan: Article 9 of the Constitution|date=February 2006|archive-date=November 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113230055/https://www.loc.gov/law/help/japan-constitution/article9.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The military is governed by the [[Ministry of Defense (Japan)|Ministry of Defense]], and primarily consists of the [[Japan Ground Self-Defense Force]], the [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]], and the [[Japan Air Self-Defense Force]]. The [[Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group|deployment of troops to Iraq]] and Afghanistan marked the first overseas use of Japan's military since World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/japan-and-its-military|last=Teslik|first=Lee Hudson|date=April 13, 2006|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|title=Japan and its military|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111193330/https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/japan-and-its-military|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Government of Japan]] has been making changes to its security policy which include the establishment of the [[National Security Council (Japan)|National Security Council]], the adoption of the National Security Strategy, and the development of the National Defense Program Guidelines.<ref name="Japan's Security Policy">{{cite news|title= Japan's Security Policy|publisher= Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|url= http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/security/|date= April 6, 2016|archive-date= January 28, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132310/http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/security/|url-status= live}}</ref> In May 2014, Prime Minister [[Shinzo Abe]] said Japan wanted to shed the passiveness it has maintained since the end of World War II and take more responsibility for regional security.<ref name="JapanAsia">{{cite news|title=Abe offers Japan's help in maintaining regional security|url=http://www.japanherald.com/index.php/sid/222467193/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044/ht/Abe-offers-Japans-help-in-maintaining-regional-security|date=May 30, 2014|newspaper=Japan Herald|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531184828/http://www.japanherald.com/index.php/sid/222467193/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044/ht/Abe-offers-Japans-help-in-maintaining-regional-security|archivedate=May 31, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In December 2022, Prime Minister [[Fumio Kishida]] further confirmed this trend, instructing the government to increase spending by 65% until 2027.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liff |first=Adam P. |date=May 22, 2023 |title=No, Japan is not planning to 'double its defense budget' |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2023/05/22/no-japan-is-not-planning-to-double-its-defense-budget/ |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]|archive-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523074432/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2023/05/22/no-japan-is-not-planning-to-double-its-defense-budget/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/japan-dealing-with-north-koreas-growing-missile-threat/|work=The Diplomat|last=Yoji|first=Koda|date=September 18, 2020|title=Japan: Dealing with North Korea's Growing Missile Threat|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111164739/https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/japan-dealing-with-north-koreas-growing-missile-threat/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-china-military-provocations-revival-disputed-islands-pacifism-11594735596|work=The Wall Street Journal|title=China Provocations Hasten Japan's Military Revival|last1=Gale|first1=Alastair|last2=Tsuneoka|first2=Chieko|date=July 14, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111145238/https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-china-military-provocations-revival-disputed-islands-pacifism-11594735596|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Law enforcement===
{{Main|Law enforcement in Japan|Crime in Japan}}
[[File:警視庁 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The headquarters of the [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department]]]]
Domestic security in Japan is provided mainly by the [[prefectural police department]]s, under the oversight of the [[National Police Agency (Japan)|National Police Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Supreme Court of Japan|year=2005|title=Who will conduct the investigation?|url=http://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/qa_keizi/qa_keizi_09/index.html|accessdate=November 1, 2018|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924211451/http://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/qa_keizi/qa_keizi_09/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As the central coordinating body for the Prefectural Police Departments, the National Police Agency is administered by the [[National Public Safety Commission (Japan)|National Public Safety Commission]].<ref name="NPA1977-2">{{Cite book|editor=National Police Agency Police History Compilation Committee|year=1977|title=Japan post-war police history|publisher=[[:ja:警察協会|Japan Police Support Association]]|language=Japanese}}</ref> The [[Special Assault Team]] comprises national-level [[counter-terrorism]] tactical units that cooperate with territorial-level [[Riot Police Unit#Specialist squads|Anti-Firearms Squads and Counter-NBC Terrorism Squads]].<ref name="WP">{{cite web|url=http://www.npa.go.jp/english/kokusai9/White_Paper_2009_7.pdf|title=Chapter IV. Maintenance of Public Safety and Disaster Countermeasures|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323151825/https://www.npa.go.jp/english/kokusai9/White_Paper_2009_7.pdf|accessdate=March 25, 2011|archivedate=March 23, 2011|publisher=[[National Police Agency (Japan)|Japanese National Police Agency]]|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Japan Coast Guard]] guards territorial waters surrounding Japan and uses surveillance and control countermeasures against smuggling, marine [[environmental crime]], poaching, piracy, spy ships, unauthorized foreign fishing vessels, and illegal immigration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/15_b%20of%20jcg.pdf|title=Japan Coast Guard|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708235951/https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/15_b%20of%20jcg.pdf|accessdate=July 8, 2019|archivedate=July 8, 2019|publisher=[[Japan Coast Guard]]|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law]] strictly regulates the civilian ownership of guns, swords, and other weaponry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/11/29/national/diet-tightens-laws-on-knives-guns/#.XS9faShKi01|title=Diet tightens laws on knives, guns|date=November 29, 2008|work=The Japan Times|archive-date=April 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413233016/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/11/29/national/diet-tightens-laws-on-knives-guns/#.XS9faShKi01|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/|title=A Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths|date=July 23, 2012|first=Max|last=Fisher|work=[[The Atlantic]]|archive-date=December 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216014947/http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the [[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]], among the member states of the UN that report statistics {{as of|2018|lc=y}}, the incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual violence, and robbery are very low in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=UNODC|title=Victims of intentional homicide, 1990–2018|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/content/data/homicide/homicide-rate|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=March 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328012947/https://dataunodc.un.org/content/data/homicide/homicide-rate|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=UNODC|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/kidnapping|title=Kidnapping: 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021235926/https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/kidnapping|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=UNODC|title=Sexual violence|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/sexual-violence|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107001709/https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/sexual-violence|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=UNODC|title=Robbery: 2018|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/Robbery|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111163831/https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/Robbery|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Human rights ===
{{Main|Human rights in Japan}}
Japanese society traditionally places a strong emphasis on [[Wa (Japanese culture)|collective harmony]] and [[Collectivism|conformity]], which has led to the suppression of [[individual rights]].<ref name="h191">{{cite journal | last=Matsui | first=Shigenori | title=Fundamental Human Rights and 'Traditional Japanese Values': Constitutional Amendment and Vision of the Japanese Society | journal=Asian Journal of Comparative Law | volume=13 | issue=1 | date=February 22, 2018 | doi=10.1017/asjcl.2017.25 | doi-access=free | pages=59–86}}</ref> [[Constitution of Japan|Japan's constitution]] prohibits racial and religious discrimination,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination started consideration of the initial and second periodic reports of Japan |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2009/10/committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-started-consideration-initial |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508101622/https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2009/10/committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-started-consideration-initial |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite wikisource|title=Constitution of Japan|wslanguage=en}}</ref> and the country is a signatory to numerous international human rights treaties.<ref name="q456">{{cite web |title=Japan Strengthening Its Presence in the International Community|work=Diplomatic Bluebook | publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan | url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2021/en_html/chapter4/c040207.html | year=2021}}</ref> However, it lacks any laws against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity and does not have a national human rights institution.<ref name="p620">{{cite book | author=Human Rights Watch | title=World Report 2024: Events of 2023 | publisher=Seven Stories Press | year=2024 | isbn=978-1-64421-338-4 | url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=HjrBEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT425| page=425}}</ref>

Japan has faced criticism for [[Gender inequality in Japan|its gender inequality]],<ref name="p015">{{cite journal | last=Iida | first=Aki | title=Gender inequality in Japan: The status of women, and their promotion in the workplace | journal=Corvinus Journal of International Affairs | volume=3 | issue=3 | year=2018 | doi=10.14267/cojourn.2018v3n3a5 | doi-access=free | pages=43–52}}</ref> [[Same-sex marriage in Japan|not allowing same-sex marriages]],<ref name="h253">{{cite web | last=Shiraishi | first2=Frances|last2= Mao |first1=Sakiko | title=Japan same-sex marriage ban ruled unconstitutional again by courts | publisher=BBC | date=March 14, 2024 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68561968}}</ref> use of [[racial profiling]] by police,<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 17, 2022 |title=Racial profiling, discrimination in Japan far more serious than stats reported by police |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20221217/p2a/00m/0na/010000c |work=Mainichi Daily News |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508101627/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20221217/p2a/00m/0na/010000c |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Japan |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/japan/ |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |archive-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924171500/https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/japan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Capital punishment in Japan|allowing capital punishment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa22/006/2006/en/|title=Japan: 'Will this day be my last?' The death penalty in Japan|publisher=[[Amnesty International]]|date=July 6, 2006}}</ref> Other human rights issues include the treatment of marginalized groups, such as [[Racism in Japan|ethnic minorities]],<ref name="r037">{{cite web | title=Japan: Long-standing discrimination unchanged |publisher=Amnesty International | url=https://www.amnesty.org/es/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ASA2257602022ENGLISH.pdf |year=2023}}</ref> [[Immigration to Japan#Refugees and asylum seekers|refugees and asylum seekers]].<ref name="v702">{{cite web | title=Japan's new deportation rule for asylum seekers raises rights concerns | website=Nikkei Asia | date=June 10, 2024 | url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Japan-s-new-deportation-rule-for-asylum-seekers-raises-rights-concerns}}</ref>