Book excerpt: This is a specialized study of the organization,ideology and activities of the Japanese Special Higherpolice, the Tokkô, notorious in pre-war and wartime years for its harassment of opponents of the government. Within a comparative framework, this book explains the elements of Tokkô brutality and abuses of authority, analyses police traditions and looks at the Tokkô's interactions with other Japanese institutions and the broader sociopolitical climate. Sources include confidential Tokkô documents and interviews with former Tokkô officials. First published in 1990, this title is part of the Bloomsbury Academic Collections series.