ABSTRACT
Japan was the target of approximately 700 domestic bombings. Yet, these incidents are viewed as minor compared to the problems experienced in Israel, Russia, Spain or the United Kingdom in dealing with PLO, Chechen, ETA, and IRA based terrorism, respectively. Thus, like Germany, Japan has serious constitutional impediments to fighting terrorism as is being promoted by the United States, namely a global "war on terror" and fighting the war there or abroad, instead of at home. Prior to American influences at the end of World War Two, Japan had a very long influence of law enforcement being conducted via a centralized authority, namely controlled by the country's Shogun Ruler, with arms of the Shogun's authority in every town and village in the form of local police, judges, et cetera. Also, under Article 81, Japanese courts are empowered to dissolve any group that violates the law, injures the public or deviates from main purpose of its avowed religious nature.
