Police cars, finally!

[Aaron Gerow]

In a change of policy that illustrates how uncooperative government has 
long been to filmmaking in Japan, the National Police Agency and the 
Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport have finally agreed to 
let the fake police cars used in filming movies and TV shows run on the 
street. Until now, government officials had strictly interpreted laws 
and ruled that fake patrol cars could not drive on regular roads. There 
may have been exceptions (unmarked police cars, using real police 
cars), but in general, such fake police cars could only be used on 
roads under construction that had not yet been open to the public, in 
the studio, on private property, or in wharfs. Finally, with certain 
restrictions, they can be used on regular roads.

Aaron Gerow
KineJapan owner

Assistant Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University

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