Teenagers and marketers aren't the only ones riding the social- media wave — several police departments in Japan have joined in, running their own community blogs to improve communication with residents.

The latest to join the blog craze are four chuzaisho (police stations that double as residences for officers' families) in Kyushu's Kumamoto Prefecture (ubuyama521.blog130.fc2.com, ituki001.blog31.fc2.com, gosyonoura007.blog106.fc2.com, sakitu525.blog115.fc2.com). Their main objective is to inform the public about criminal incidents in their communities and facilitate friendly interactions with police officers. Kumamoto Prefectural Police started running the blogs out of chuzaisho in Amakusa City and the villages of Ubuyama and Itsuki last month.

Through the blogs, Kumamoto police hope to focus on improving local security by reporting on an increase in finance-related crimes that especially target the elderly.