In Japan, the right of individuals to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures is a fundamental constitutional principle, typically requiring law enforcement to obtain a judicial warrant before conducting a search. However, one of the well-established exceptions to this warrant requirement is a search conducted with the voluntary consent

In Japan, it is not uncommon for individuals, including business professionals or their employees, to be asked by police to accompany them to a police station for questioning. This procedure, known as nin'i dōkō (任意同行) or "voluntary accompaniment," is a standard investigative technique. However, the line

Imagine you or an employee are stopped by police on a street in Japan for questioning (shokumu shitsumon, 職務質問). The officers then ask to look inside your bag or want to check your pockets. What are your rights, and what are the legal limits on the police's authority

Vehicle checkpoints, or jidōsha kenmon (自動車検問), are a visible aspect of police activity in Japan. Drivers may encounter them for various reasons, from traffic rule enforcement to broader crime prevention efforts. While these checkpoints serve public safety objectives, they also involve a temporary stop and interaction with law enforcement, raising

Encounters with police officers on the street for questioning, known in Japan as shokumu shitsumon (職務質問), are a relatively common aspect of maintaining public order and initiating investigations. While designed as a tool for crime prevention and preliminary inquiry, the authority of police officers to stop and question individuals is

When Japanese law enforcement authorities seize computers or smartphones during an investigation, the act of seizure is merely the first step. The subsequent analysis of these devices to locate and extract digital evidence is a distinct phase, governed by its own set of legal principles and procedural requirements. For companies

In the modern business environment, small, high-capacity portable storage media such as USB flash drives, SD cards, and external hard drives are ubiquitous. They hold vast amounts of company data, from confidential internal documents to intellectual property and routine communications. When Japanese criminal investigators execute a search warrant at a

As businesses increasingly rely on complex digital systems to store vast amounts of information, criminal investigators in Japan face the challenge of accessing specific electronic data without causing undue disruption to legitimate operations. One specialized tool in their arsenal is the "record-order seizure" (記録命令付差押え, kiroku meirei-tsuki sashiosae). This

In today's interconnected global economy, corporate data often transcends national borders, residing on servers located in various countries, managed by international cloud service providers, or accessed by employees worldwide. This distributed data landscape presents significant challenges when Japanese law enforcement authorities conduct criminal investigations that require access to

The proliferation of digital technology has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of criminal investigations worldwide. In Japan, as elsewhere, evidence crucial to proving or disproving criminal allegations increasingly resides in electronic form – on computers, smartphones, servers, and in the cloud. Consequently, Japanese law has evolved to provide investigators with specific tools

Eyewitness identification is a potent and often pivotal component of criminal investigations. The ability of a victim or bystander to identify a perpetrator can provide a crucial link in solving a crime. However, human memory is fallible, and the process of identification is susceptible to various influences that can lead

During the intense process of criminal interrogation, investigators often jot down notes, create memos, or maintain logs to aid their memory, structure their questioning, or prepare official statements (kyojutsu chōsho 供述調書). Historically, such internal notes were largely considered private work product, shielded from the eyes of the defense. However, a

As global interconnectedness increases, so too does the unfortunate reality of individuals from diverse backgrounds becoming involved in criminal investigations far from their home countries. When foreign nationals are suspected of offenses in Japan, the interrogation process—a critical phase of any Japanese criminal investigation—takes on additional layers of

In the Japanese criminal justice system, the creation of detailed written statements, known as kyojutsu chōsho (供述調書), is a cornerstone of the investigative process. These documents, meticulously prepared by police officers or public prosecutors, record the oral declarations of suspects, victims, and witnesses. They serve not only as an internal

The active participation of victims and witnesses is fundamental to the functioning of any criminal justice system. However, their willingness to come forward and provide testimony can be significantly undermined by fears of retaliation, concerns about privacy, or the potential for re-traumatization during legal proceedings. Recognizing these challenges, the Japanese

In any criminal investigation, the information provided by witnesses and other third parties—referred to in Japan as sankōnin (参考人)—can be indispensable for piecing together the truth. While many individuals willingly cooperate with investigators, challenges inevitably arise when key witnesses are reluctant to speak, refuse to appear, or, in

"Special fraud," or tokushu sagi (特殊詐欺) as it's known in Japan, represents a persistent and evolving category of deception that has plagued Japanese society for years, frequently targeting vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly. These schemes, encompassing various typologies such as the infamous "It's

Money laundering, the process of disguising the illicit origins of criminal proceeds, poses a significant threat to global financial integrity and is a key focus of law enforcement agencies worldwide. Japan, like other developed nations, has specific legal frameworks designed to combat this complex financial crime, primarily centered around the

Corporate crime, with its potential to inflict significant economic damage and erode public trust, presents unique challenges for investigators worldwide. In Japan, specific legal frameworks address misconduct by company officials, notably bribery involving directors under the Companies Act and the broader offense of breach of trust, applicable under both the

In the meticulous process of evaluating criminal confessions, the Japanese justice system places considerable emphasis on a concept known as himitsu no bakuro (秘密の暴露), which translates to "disclosure of secrets" or, more aptly in this context, "revelation of secrets of the crime." This refers to specific,

Confessions play a significant, often pivotal, role in the Japanese criminal justice system. However, their importance is matched by a stringent legal framework designed to ensure that such statements are made voluntarily and are reliable. Japanese law, rooted in constitutional principles and detailed in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP)

The practice of recording custodial interrogations has gained global traction as a means to enhance transparency, ensure the voluntariness of confessions, and provide an objective record of interactions between investigators and suspects. Japan, after considerable debate and as part of broader criminal justice reforms, implemented its own system for the