LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC SAFETY: CASE OF JAPAN’S TONARI-GUMI AND KOBAN
Keywords:
Keywords: tonari-gumi, Koban, public safety, decentralized governance, civic participation, Japan, crime reduction, aging demographic, digitization, safety social capital.Abstract
Abstract:Japan’s public safety model, integrating tonari-gumi volunteer patrols
and Koban police stations, exemplifies decentralized governance, blending civic
participation with institutional oversight. This study analyzes their evolution from 2010
to 2023, assessing legal, economic, and social efficacy amid urbanization (91% urban
population), an aging demographic (38.4% over 65), and rising cybercrime (27%
increase, 2020 – 2023) [1, 2]. Drawing on National Police Agency data, the research
quantifies a 30.2% crime drop (1,897 to 1,324 cases per 100,000), with petty crime
falling 82.3% rural and 58.6% urban, though serious crime declined only 23.1% [3].
Historical roots trace to Edo’s gonin-gumi, while post-1947 "Local Autonomy Law"
scaled Koban to 6,298 and tonari-gumi to 46,127 by 2023 [4, 5]. Case studies
(Yamagata, Fukuoka, Nagano) and 55-act legal analysis reveal adaptability – e.g.,
Fukuoka’s "SafeLink" cut response times from 9.7 to 7.9 minutes – yet privacy lawsuits
(52 in 2023) and elderly reliance (42.8% Nagano volunteers over 65) pose challenges
[6, 7]. The study highlights "safety social capital" (85.2% rural trust) and explores
export potential to regions like Central Asia [8, 9].
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