National Public Safety Commission (Japan) in the context of "Japanese police"

A special organization (特別の機関, Tokubetsu no kikan) is a Japanese government organization established under the Cabinet Office, ministries or their external organs (commission and agencies) when particularly necessary. It is distinguished from a facility. The classification was created when the amendments to the National Government Organization Act [ja] were promulgated on July 1, 1984. The amendments, in particular, made it clear that the National Police Agency is an extraordinary organ attached to the National Public Safety Commission, which is an external organ of the Cabinet Office.

The National Police Agency (Japanese: 警察庁, Hepburn: Keisatsu-chō) is the central coordinating law enforcement agency of the Japanese police system. Unlike national police in other countries, the NPA does not have any operational units of its own aside from the Imperial Guard; rather, it is responsible for supervising Japan's 47 prefectural police departments and determining their general standards and policies, though it can command police agencies under it in national emergencies or large-scale disasters. It is under the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office.

As of 2017, the NPA has a strength of approximately 7,800 personnel: 2,100 sworn officers, 900 guards, and 4,800 civilian staff.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) (警視庁, Keishichō), known locally as simply the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), is the prefectural police of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Founded in 1874, the TMPD is the largest police force in Japan by number of officers, with a staff of more than 40,000 police officers and over 2,800 civilian personnel.

The TMPD is headed by a Superintendent-General, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission and approved by the prime minister. It manages 10 divisions and 102 stations across the Metropolis.