Masaki Shigehisa appointed Chief of the Kagoshima Prefectural Police

The National Public Safety Commission appointed Senior Commissioner Masaki Shigeku, Director of the Public Security Division of the Security Bureau of the National Police Agency, as the Chief of the Kagoshima Prefectural Police effective October 26, 2026. On the same date, an order was also issued appointing Senior Commissioner Kazuhisa Hanaoka, attached to the Secretariat of the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, as the successor Director of the Public Security Division of the Security Bureau of the National Police Agency. Both appointments were published and announced in the personnel changes section of the Official Gazette dated November 10, 2026 (Tuesday), listed separately under the National Public Safety Commission and the National Police Agency.

The Chief of a Prefectural Police is a key position appointed and dismissed by the National Public Safety Commission based on the Police Law, bearing responsibility for the overall operation of the prefectural police, including police affairs, security, and criminal investigations. This reshuffle simultaneously moves the head of the Public Security Division of the Security Bureau, which serves as the core of the National Police Agency’s security sector, and the head of the Kagoshima Prefectural Police, a strategic point in Kyushu, impacting both the personnel hierarchy of the public security police and the local security system.

The Post of Director of the Public Security Division, the Core of Public Security Police

The Public Security Division of the Security Bureau is positioned as the division responsible for the planning and coordination of the public security police sector within the Security Bureau, and the position of Director has traditionally been filled by a Senior Commissioner. In this Official Gazette, the predecessor, Masaki Shigeku, transitioned from “(Director of the Public Security Division, Security Bureau, NPA) Senior Commissioner” to Chief of the Kagoshima Prefectural Police, while the successor, Kazuhisa Hanaoka, was appointed as Director of the same division from “(Attached to the Secretariat of the Commissioner General, NPA) Senior Commissioner.”

Regarding Kazuhisa Hanaoka, the Official Gazette dated August 26, 2026, listed a personnel change in which his concurrent appointments to the National Intelligence Bureau and the National Security Secretariat as a Cabinet Counselor (National Cyber Coordination Office) of the Cabinet Secretariat were terminated. The process of becoming the Director of the Public Security Division after being attached to the Secretariat can be interpreted as a personnel move to place an individual with experience in both the cyber/intelligence fields and public security police at the center of operations.

Chief of Police Personnel Responsible for Security Operations in Kagoshima Prefecture

Located at the southern tip of Kyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture has multifaceted security demands for its prefectural police operations, including a wide jurisdiction encompassing remote islands, responses to foreign vessels and maritime traffic, and preparedness for large-scale natural disasters. As the head of this system, the Chief of the Prefectural Police is in a position to oversee the implementation of security measures and the response to public security incidents.

The appointment of Masaki Shigeku, who served as the Director of the Public Security Division of the National Police Agency, as the Chief of the Prefectural Police is positioned as a move to directly link the policies of the NPA Security Bureau to the operational management of the prefectural police on the ground.

Two Senior Commissioner Appointments Issued on the Same Date

The contents published in the Official Gazette are as follows:

• Name: Shigeku Masaki, Rank: Senior Commissioner, New Position: Chief of Kagoshima Prefectural Police, Former Position: Director of the Public Security Division, Security Bureau, National Police Agency
• Name: Hanaoka Kazuhisa, Rank: Senior Commissioner, New Position: Director of the Public Security Division, Security Bureau, National Police Agency, Former Position: Attached to the Secretariat of the Commissioner General, National Police Agency
• Effective Date: October 26, Reiwa 8 (both)
• Official Notice: Official Gazette, November 10, Reiwa 8 issue, Personnel Changes (National Public Safety Commission / National Police Agency)
• Jurisdiction: National Public Safety Commission and National Police Agency

The announcement confirms that because both appointments were made on the same date, the successor to the Director of the Public Security Division was appointed without any vacancy period.

Significance for Readers

For departments and municipalities involved in public safety and security operations within Kagoshima Prefecture, as well as local economic organizations, the change of the Prefectural Police Chief directly impacts security plans and response policies for public security incidents. This appointment, where a former Director of the Public Security Division of the National Police Agency takes the top post of the prefectural police, is seen as a placement that emphasizes continuity between central security policies and local operations, serving as a key indicator for future prefectural police personnel changes and security system trends.

Sources

• Official Gazette, November 10, Reiwa 8 issue (Tuesday), Personnel Changes, National Public Safety Commission (Masaki Shigeku, Senior Commissioner, appointed as Chief of Kagoshima Prefectural Police, October 26, Reiwa 8)
• Official Gazette, November 10, Reiwa 8 issue (Tuesday), Personnel Changes, National Police Agency (Kazuhisa Hanaoka, Senior Commissioner, appointed as Director of the Public Security Division, Security Bureau, National Police Agency, October 26, Reiwa 8)