Thanks! Sherlgirl I will download it and read it.
Yes, the koban system is very unique but it seems, according to the
texts I have read, to be undergoing major changes in terms of its
effectiveness. And imagine the koban back in the Meiji Era! The
koban system remains in modern times because of the narrow streets
and extremely densely populated areas. It is more efficient
to "spread out" law enforcement rather than have one big police
station and dispatch personel. Koban cops are often the first
responders in all situations. Not surprisingly foreign students in
Japan are encouraged to find out where their local koban is located
should they need assistance.
some references to Kawaji are in the books/sources here
http://1happyturtle.com/NSNR/NOsleepNOrest_Bibliography.htm
alot of Kawaji's writings are quoted *slightly* out of context and
certain things like how Kawaji may have distorted information
regarding the French model to push some his own ideas. Not all of
Kawaji's writings have been translated into English.
I have alot of ****interesting koban stories from western researchers
who shadowed koban officers.
I think if the Shinsengumi are "modernized" in terms of fiction...you
do not get punished with KINSHIN...you get punished by being sent to
be a koban officer and have to spend your whole day babysitting lost
children, give directions and go door to door collecting information
from people in your jurisdiction. Because all rookies have to work a
koban for a while. Imagine chatty PMK Nagakura sent to a koban (^_^)
I have to double check Fujita Goro's timeline but since he held the
rank of sergeant at one point his job was actually to supervise koban
in his jurisdiction. BAck in that era, criminals were picked up and
escorted to the big police stations by sergeants. They had their
hands tied and the officer would hold one end of the rope (there is a
quick scene in the film LADY SNOW BLOOD the last episode of the
series).
--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, sherlgirl wrote:
> Sec - With respect to this topic, did you ever see this paper on
the Japanese Koban? (Found it while looking for info on Kawaji.)
>
> Christopher ALDOUS and Frank LEISHMAN, Enigma Variations:
Reassessing the Koban. 2000.
> http://www.nissan.ox.ac.uk/nops/nops31.pdf
>
> It's part of the Nissan Institute white paper series... found it
while researching Kawaji.
>
> I also have some info, somewhat anecdotal, on the Tokugawa prison
system.... from Charles Dunn's text "EVeryday Life in Traditional
Japan." Unfortunately he doesn't provide references in the text.
>
>
>
> S