In Japan, concerns rise over ‘too powerful police’ after post-Abe VIP security reforms

Authorities aim to increase training for close-protection officers, implement stronger security and give national police more control

But analysts say it may be harder for politicians to interact with public and police may be able to monitor anyone, affecting legal right to privacy

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Tetsuya Yamagami, (bottom), accused of assassinating former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, is detained in Nara, Japan. File photo: via AP

Published: 4:51pm, 26 Aug 2022

The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July has triggered a major overhaul of police security for VIPs, with authorities planning to step up training for specialist close-protection officers and implementing more extensive security plans.

The problem, analysts point out, is that politicians may no longer be able to interact so closely with their constituents, while there is also the likelihood that police and security agencies will be granted greater powers to monitor the actions of anyone who raises suspicions. If interpreted broadly, that could mean an erosion of legal guarantees of privacy, they add.

The National Police Agency (NPA) on Thursday released its report into the killing of Abe, 67, who was shot dead with a home-made gun on July 8 as he campaigned for the July 10 general election outside Yamato-Saidaiji railway station in the city of Nara.

Officers immediately detained Tetsuya Yamagami, who has told investigators that he attacked the former prime minister due to his connections to the Unification Church, a South Korean fringe organisation.

The report – released the same day that National Police Commissioner Itaru Nakamura announced his resignation – identified two fundamental failures in security for Abe in Nara, citing poor advance planning and inadequate on-site security.

Japan’s National Police Commissioner Itaru Nakamura announced his resignation on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Combined, these failings enabled the assailant to approach Abe from behind as he addressed a crowd on a street corner, and fire two shots from a distance of about five metres.