Tokyo Metropolitan Police admit to 63 erroneous traffic citations

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has revealed that it incorrectly issued 63 traffic violation tickets for “running red lights” in Kodaira City. The errors occurred between May 2024 and July 2026 at an intersection near Hitotsubashi-gakuen Station.

Officers from the Kodaira Police Station reportedly confused a pedestrian crossing stop line with a traffic signal stop line. This led them to penalize drivers who passed through an intersection where they were not legally required to stop.

The mistake was discovered in July following an inquiry from a driver regarding stop positions. The Metropolitan Police Department has since corrected the violation points for the affected drivers and is proceeding with the refund of paid fines. The department has issued individual apologies to those involved.