The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced Friday that it plans to build a new police station near JR Harajuku Station that will have a jail capable of holding 300 people.
The facility, which is being built to address overcrowding, will be completed in March 2009, when it will become one of the largest police facilities in Japan, the National Police Agency said.
The facility will have a floor space of 25,000 sq. meters, offer quarters for officers, and also house the Metropolitan Police Department's Harajuku Police Station, which is currently located elsewhere.
The police station will be situated on a 24,000-sq.-meter plot in Shibuya Ward's Jingumae district currently occupied by a university, which will be relocated. The city also plans to build commercial and residential facilities at the government-owned site.
Residents have been objecting to the project due to concerns that their security would worsen. The metropolitan government said Friday it will continue to listen to their opinions.
The Metropolitan Police Department's jail cells have been at 20 percent over capacity since May 2003. This spring, the metropolitan government opened a new jail for 120 inmates in Shinagawa Ward. But the facility will only operate for five years because the site is scheduled for road construction.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.