Before World War Two, the national police in Japan were used substantially as an enforcement agency for political reasons. After the war this changed, and the police were re-formed with a vision of them being a community oriented agency, non-threatening and helpful. Still, some sort of armament was needed, and so they were given compact .38 caliber revolvers – initially New Nambu Model 60s. By the 1990s new threats existed that required police reaction and a school of reformers wanted to issue a modern 9mm service pistol. A trial was held in 1995 and the chosen gun was the SIG P230JP, a compact semiautomatic in .32 ACP.
Video on the P230JP: https://youtu.be/KFJxSKlycwA
Being a true compromise, the P230 pleased nobody. The reformers found it even more underpowered than the .38 revolvers, and the traditionalists disliked automatic pistols. Despite its formal adoption, the National Police returned to small revolvers, ordering more than 10,000 S&W 37-2s in the early 2000s and later tens of thousands of S&W 360Js. These were both very compact, lightweight 5-shot revolvers chambered for .38 Special and their design sheds much light on the philosophy of Japanese policing that continues to this day.
Many thanks to the anonymous viewer who loaned me these pieces to film for you!
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