Confessions of a Dog

Third Window Films

R2 DVD

Japanese with English subtitles

"In Japan there are two things you shouldn't question: the emperor and the police,". So says Takeda, a policemen who has risen high in the police hierarchy by joining in the atmosphere of bribes, favours and illegal practices.

With police forces around the world becoming extensively involved in the very crimes they are supposed to be preventing, there is no reason that Japan should be any different. Director Gen Takahashi has based this huge film (more than three hours) on the experiences of his friend investigative journalist Yu Terasawa. For years the traditional Japanese film has glorified concepts like honour and loyalty, even if they involve some of the nastiest gangsters. Takahashi’s film, if true, reveals the truth – of Japan’s 270,000 police many are corrupt.

The Japanese for policeman, “pochi”, is very close to the English “pooch”. The senior police therefore refer to their underlings as “dogs”. In turn these men regard the newspaper reporters as dogs. Giving them statements and handouts is called by one officer “feeding the dogs”. The Press has adapted to these arrangements and, as in the quote above, it is not going to question the police too closely.

We see the corruption in action at Takeda’s first posting, a small police station where the police have a minor but significant crime gang of their own. Their actions may be as minor as “questioning” an attractive girl to get her name and address, and progress to rape for more major offences. When things are quiet they fall back on the “stolen bike” trick to rip off drunken businessmen. The officer in charge is on drugs supplied to him by a corrupt Police captain. Takeda is noticed by the Captain and transferred to the Detectives. Here he experiences the full range of crimes committed by his superiors, but what can he do? He joins them.

Five years later he has risen in the ranks. As well as corruption he is now cheating on his wife and generally enjoying the lavish lifestyle that corruption can bring. One thing is clear, though. The Police Commissioner can never be associated with corruption. From time to time it will be necessary to sacrifice a cop, who is expected to show due loyalty and meekly accept his fate. He will be looked after when he comes out. The Commissioner is involved with the drug deals, gun smuggling and organised crime.

Takeda tries to disengage himself from the corruption by talking to a journalist but the man’s editor will not take on the powerful police. Finally the journalist takes his story to the international press and the cat is out of the bag. The Commissioner decides that it is time for Takeda to be sacrificed as a corrupt cop. Takeda does not want to go willingly. The police provide him with a tame attorney and arrange with the judge that Takeda’s testimony will not be heard publicly. The courtroom audience is stacked with police and administrative staff and the photographers are evicted. Takeda is now willing to reveal all and confess his part in it, but no one is listening. He attempts suicide.

It was some years before Takahashi’s film was released in Japan. Theatres didn’t want to touch something that reflected badly on two great institutions, the Press and the police. Even now it is not well known there. Yet film is a powerful way to bring out the abuses of the system and should lead to the question “Is this true? If so, what will we do about it?” The Japanese people do not seem to have gone that far. They accept that all is well with their police. Perhaps they, also, have reached the status of tame dogs.

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