Tokyo police held a parade Friday as a top official warned of the possibility of public security worsening amid the economic slide.
"Although overall crimes are on the decline, deteriorating business and employment conditions are driving society into an unstable state, Superintendent General Toshiro Yonemura told participants at the Metropolitan Police Department's New Year's parade in Shinjuku Ward.
"It is our duty to ensure public safety. That's what Tokyo residents expect us to do," he said. The parade started at 7:20 a.m.