An Analysis of Maritime Police

staffed with coast guard officers, etc., who shall exercise maritime police powers." 2 Harano, Akira also describes it as follows: "As a general maritime police organization for the protection of life and property at sea, and for the prevention, investigation, and suppression of violations of the law, there is the Japan Coast Guard, a branch of the Ministry of Transport." 3Furthermore, per international law, "for certain maritime offenses, warships or vessels of a state other than the flag state may, under international law, take measures such as surveillance, boarding, inspection, search, capture, detention, and impoundment vessels on the high seas.This authority is known as the 'maritime police power' on the high seas."In this case, "maritime police power" is used, which differs from police power in the sense of authority under domestic police law, and is considered a concept only under international law 4 .Yuichi Takano, who used the term "maritime police power" in a legal treatise written after WWII, also explains it as international law."Maritime police refers to police on the high seas (la police de la haute mer) that enforce the laws governing the use of the high seas".This is 2 T a n a k a , J i r o ( 1 9 8 3 ) S h i n p a n G y o s e i h o u G e k a n A d m i n i s t r a t i v e L a w , V o l . 2 , N e w E d i t i o n , K o u b u n d o u , p . 5 0 . 3H a r a n o , A k i r a ( 1 9 8 8 ) A c t o r s a n d C o n t e n t s o f A d m i n i s t r a t i v e L e g a l R e l a t i o n s h i p s G y o u s e i J o u n o H o u r i t u K a n k e i n o T o u j i s y a o y o b i N a iy o u , i n S u g i m u r a , T o s h i m a s a ( e d .) G y o u s e i h o u G a i s e t u K a k u r o n O v e r v i e w o f A d m i n i s t r a t i v e L a w , P a r t i c u l a r T h e o r i e s , 3 r d E d i t i o n s , Y u h i k a k u , P a r t 1 , C h a p t e r 3 , p .7 1 .