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Samurai Cops: Inside Edo's Police Force During Feudal Japan

Learn about the samurai police and their brutal tactics, which occasionally included bathhouse spying and torture.

During the Edo period, three of the most popular professions chosen by commoners were sumo wrestling, firefighting and assisting police squads as a yoriki. Since the punishments for heavier crimes in Edo included beheading, hanging, crucifixion or being boiled alive, there were cases of people not confessing no matter what the cops did to them. Being acquitted in court after refusing to confess was technically possible but it was extremely rare since not finding someone guilty was considered a failure on the part of the police and magistrates.

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