# Security Services in Japan

Canonical page: https://closeprotectionhire.com/countries/japan/

Security services in Japan. Close protection and Security Business Act-approved operators for Tokyo and major Japanese cities.


## Regulations

- **Licensing**: Private security in Japan is regulated by the Security Business Act (Keibigyo-ho, Act No. 117 of 1972, as amended). Anyone carrying on a security business needs approval (nintei) from a prefectural Public Safety Commission (Article 4). Close protection is item 4 security work under Article 2: guarding against harm to a person's body in their vicinity. Guards have no special legal powers (Article 15). Ask any provider for its approval before an assignment starts.
- **Firearms**: Japan's Act for Controlling the Possession of Firearms or Swords (Act No. 6 of 1958) bars anyone from possessing firearms or swords except in the cases it lists (Article 3), and private security work is not one of them. The Security Business Act also lets a Public Safety Commission restrict the protective equipment guards carry (Article 17). Close protection in Japan is unarmed.
- **Foreign operators**: The Act's grounds for disqualification (Article 3) include no nationality rule. Carrying on a security business in Japan needs approval under Article 4, and a security licence from another country is not that approval. Use an approved Japanese security business, and take local legal advice before a foreign team carries out protective duties.

Sources, checked 2026-10-07:

- [Security Business Act (Act No. 117 of 1972, as amended), hourei.net text](https://hourei.net/law/347AC0000000117)
- [Act No. 6 of 1958 on the possession of firearms and swords, as enacted (House of Representatives)](https://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_housei.nsf/html/houritsu/02819580310006.htm)

## Cities covered

- **Tokyo**: One of the world's safest major cities by crime statistics. Primary demand from visiting UHNWI clients, celebrity principals, and executives with corporate CP programmes. The July 2022 assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe demonstrated public-space vulnerability.

Japan is one of the world's safest major countries by crime statistics. Tokyo's violent crime rate is a fraction of comparable-size global cities. For most visitor profiles, the day-to-day personal security environment in Japan presents minimal concern.

The CP market in Japan exists primarily for visiting principals. UHNWI families, A-list entertainment clients, and senior corporate executives arrive with protection programmes already in place in their home jurisdictions. They do not suspend those programmes when travelling to Japan. Local operator capability is the operational requirement, even where the threat environment is low.

## The regulatory framework

Japan's Security Business Act (Act No. 117 of 1972) creates a structured, state-supervised industry: every security business needs approval from a prefectural Public Safety Commission. Licensing is taken seriously. The industry employs a large number of registered operators, primarily in static guarding and event security. The close protection and CPO sector is smaller but professionally active.

Operating without appropriate prefectural certification carries legal consequences. For international teams managing visiting principals in Japan, local operator coordination is the practical requirement. Language capability, protocol knowledge, and understanding of Japan's specific social norms are as important as physical security skills in this environment.

## The July 2022 Abe assassination

The killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a public campaign event in Nara in July 2022 was a significant event for the Japanese security industry. It exposed gaps in static protective security for public figures. The event generated a professional reassessment of CP and event security standards across Japan. Demand for professional protective services for senior political and business figures increased following the incident.

## Operational notes

Japan's extremely low crime rate does not mean zero threat. Corporate espionage and intellectual property theft are documented concerns for executives carrying sensitive commercial information. Device security during Japan visits is a genuine risk that sits outside the physical CP remit but is part of any complete pre-travel briefing.

Source: FCDO Travel Advice: Japan (2024). National Police Agency Japan: Crime Statistics 2023. FCDO Advisory on North Korea ballistic missile programme.

Our vetted operators provide [close protection and executive protection](/services/executive-protection/) and [security driver services](/services/security-drivers/) across Japan. For a detailed local assessment, see our [Tokyo city briefing](/cities/tokyo/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Why would a principal need close protection in Japan if crime is so low?

CP demand in Japan comes almost exclusively from visiting principals rather than local residents. UHNWI visitors, entertainment clients, and senior executives in Japan operate with protection for reputational and lifestyle management reasons, not because the street crime environment demands it. Japan's safety record is genuine and backed by data. The professional requirement is still real for specific client profiles.

### What is the North Korea missile threat to Japan?

North Korea has test-fired ballistic missiles over Japanese territory on multiple occasions, most recently in November 2022. Japan maintains a missile defence capability and issues national alerts via the J-Alert system. The threat to individual visitors from missile activity is low. Executives and security teams operating in Japan should monitor escalation indicators, particularly during periods of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula.

### Is there a terrorism risk in Japan?

FCDO assesses some risk of terrorism in Japan. The primary concern is lone-actor threats. The July 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a public rally demonstrated the vulnerability of even highly public figures at public-space events in Japan. Japan's overall terrorism risk remains low by global standards. The professional security community does not treat any environment as carrying zero risk.