Japan is struggling to secure police officers ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics because potential applicants are showing a preference for private-sector work as the economy picks up.
The number of police applicants in fiscal 2014 dropped by nearly half to 128,035, compared with fiscal 2003, when it hit a 20-year peak, National Police Agency officials said.
The sharp drop reflects the increased popularity of corporate work and the dwindling number of children, according to prefectural police departments.