Fake Japanese police uniform, reportedly from China, sparks real-life crime concerns
Concerns have arisen over images of a man wearing a realistic Japanese police uniform, suggesting a risk of impersonating an officer, which is illegal in Japan
The Weekly Women’s Prime news magazine reported on May 1 that the photos have gone viral in Japan, with many people expressing fear that anyone can now obtain a police uniform and impersonate an officer.
The photos depict a man wearing a standard blue police shirt, with a shoulder badge. He has a stab-proof vest displaying the logo of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police and a high-visibility armband. Additionally, he is equipped with a police-style belt that includes a holster and baton, and a two-way radio receiver clipped to his shoulder.
“If someone wearing that uniform spoke to you in Japanese, then it would be natural to assume they were a police officer,” read one comment on the magazine’s website. “An elderly person or a child would do as they were told without thinking, and they could easily be kidnapped.”