{
  "id": 3165112,
  "title": "News in Easy English: Kanagawa police academy changes rules to get more recruits",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/news-in-easy-english-kanagawa-police-academy-changes-rules-to-get",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T02:00:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260825/p2a/00m/0na/001000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In July, the Kanagawa Prefectural Police changed rules at its police academy to recruit more new officers. Japan's birth rate is falling, leading to fewer workers. The number of police applicants in Kanagawa has dropped, and the test passing rate has decreased. In fiscal 2012, 6,351 people took the test, seven times the number of job openings. By fiscal 2013, the number fell to 2,460, the lowest since 1990. This trend is expected to continue as more police workers retire in the next decade.\n\nThe police force may struggle to maintain sufficient staff in the future. Kanagawa Police have already introduced other changes to aid hiring, such as creating a test group for experienced workers, reducing the number of questions in the basic ability test, and lowering the push-up requirement in the fitness test. The police academy in Yokohama's Sakae Ward, where new officers live and train, has also made changes. Since July, recruits can now choose any neat hairstyle, including two-block cuts and longer hair. Previously, trainees could only visit or stay overnight at family members' homes or other recruits' homes. Smartphone rules have also changed; trainees can now keep and manage their phones independently.\n\nJapan's police academies, not just in Kanagawa Prefecture, are also aiming to prevent trainees from leaving. Starting in April, training for high school and vocational school graduates will be shortened by 1.5 months. A 2024 survey by the National Police Agency asked 477 trainees about their concerns during the police test, with 40% reporting worries. One trainee, Toa Kimura from Yamagata Prefecture, expressed that while the police academy seems strict, it is more enjoyable than she expected, unlike the strictness she experienced at her previous job at a post office. Kimura mentioned that the new rules provide more freedom but also responsibility. However, some senior officials in Kanagawa Prefectural Police believe that making fewer rules may not be beneficial, as discipline is a core value in this job. Despite this, there is strong competition to hire young people due to the falling birth rate, implying that police recruitment must adapt to societal changes.",
  "summary": "YOKOHAMA -- Kanagawa Prefectural Police changed rules at its police academy in July. The move is part of work to get more new police officers as Japan",
  "key_points": [
    "Kanagawa police academy altered rules to increase recruits.",
    "Birth rate decline leads to fewer police applicants.",
    "Academy relaxed hairstyle, phone, and training rules."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Kanagawa police academy's rule changes reflect a shift towards a more flexible approach to recruitment and training, driven by Japan's falling birth rate and increasing competition for young workers.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}