Reassessing the restorative features of Japan’s kōban policing system – new research study by Gábor Héra has been published in Contemporary Justice Review

Abstract

This article introduces an academic debate regarding Japan’s kōban policing system over the past few decades. As the author reveals, some scholars consider kōban police officers as key actors in delivering restorative justice. Others, however, describe the same agents as punitive and retributive actors of the criminal justice system. To identify the reasons for these distinct and contradictory interpretations, the methodologies of the most significant studies on the kōban system are analysed. In addition, the article outlines some changes in society and police protocol that have decreased the restorative potential of the Japanese kōban police officers.