Seibu Keisatsu Special

Seibu Keisatsu Special
Created by	Tetsuya Watari
Starring	Tetsuya Watari, Hiroshi Tachi
Country of origin	Japan
Production
Running time	1 hour
Original release
Network	TV Asahi

Seibu Keisatsu Special (西部警察 SPECIAL, Police: Western Division) is a television drama produced by Ishihara Promotions (石原プロモーション, Ishihara Puromōshon) and broadcast on TV Asahi (テレビ朝日, Terebi Asahi.). The show aired on Japanese television on October 31, 2004, in conjunction of the 17th anniversary of the death of Yujiro Ishihara. It carries on the Seibu Keisatsu series, which was broadcast from 1979 to 1984. It portrays the efforts of the Hatomura Force (鳩村軍団) in the modern counter-terrorism environment. (Kogure's death means Daimon replaces him as Section Chief (課長) with Hatomura assuming the position of Force Leader (団長))

Plot

Kazuma Tachibana, a Tokyo Police detective on liaison with the NYPD, and his partner, New York City Police detective Bob Anderson, chase a criminal named Chan through the streets of New York City and arrest him. They learn one of his associates is a career criminal named Masaomi Niimi, wanted by Interpol on charges of passport fraud. Niimi is arrested, but his henchman shoots and fatally wounds Bob, who dies in Kazuma's arms. Overwhelmed by guilt and determined to avenge the loss of his partner, Kazuma joins his superior, Eiji 'Hato' Hatomura to escort Niimi back to Tokyo where he will stand trial for his crimes. Before leaving New York, Kazuma and Hato pay their respects at Bob's grave with the late detective's wife and daughter.

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, Section Chief Keisuke Daimon arrives at the new Tokyo Metropolitan Police Western Division headquarters, where we are introduced to female bomb squad officer Naomi Kusaka, and receives word of Niimi's successful arrest. In a meeting Chief Inspector Kengo Kusaka, supervisor of the counter-terrorist division, briefs the officers on a criminal known only as "Makoto Suzuki" who has been traveling to Chechnya regularly to purchase weapons from the Chechen Mafia, and was an associate of Niimii Masaomi, the man arrested in New York City. Later that night, Daimon and Kengo go to a bar called the Corner Lounge. The Corner Lounge is run by Naomi Kusaka's mother, Aiko, and she frequently plays the piano there. In the pub, there are several bottles with tags hung on them, one with a tag labeled 'Kogure-sama' (木暮 様). Daimon drinks a toast to Kogure, his late friend and superior, from the bottle. Meanwhile, Chan, the man previously arrested by Kazuma and Bob, is executed by a mysterious Japanese man.

Later, after escorting Niimii to the Western Division headquarters, Kazuma is introduced to Section Chief Daimon and later, the officers interrogate Masaomi over several murders, which happen to be some of the crimes he is wanted in relation to in addition to his passport fraud. While at the roof Kazuma and Hato have a chat regarding what happened in New York City and assures that the men responsible for his partner's loss will be brought to justice.

Later on Kengo, Daimon, Hatomura and the other detectives are in the meeting room, where Kengo has brought information regarding Makoto Suzuki and some possibly disturbing information: he is currently somewhere in Japan and may be planning a terrorist attack. Acting on this tip the Hatomura Force (鳩村軍団) head for Miyazaki Prefecture, just as several officials, escorted by Kengo, arrive in Miyazaki for a counter-terror conference. Their arrival is watched by the same man who had killed Masaomi's associate in New York plus two of his cronies, and they are caught on airport security cameras. Hatomura now fears the worst.

The next morning his fears are confirmed when 3 black Lincoln Navigator SUVs burst through the front door of the Phoenix Seagaia resort in Miyazaki, where the conference is held. A terrorist group called 'Black Hawk' then proceeds to take the investigators including Kusaka hostage and brings them all into one of the hotel's dining rooms, in which one of the Japanese counter-terror officials is fatally shot after a squabble with one of the gunmen. After the terrorists pull up the blinds to darken the room their leader; none other than Makoto Suzuki, the man Kengo had been investigating; arrives.

Eiji heads to Daimon's office and confirms that terrorists have taken over the Phoenix Seagaia, taking several counter-terror investigators including Kengo hostage. Naomi is also seen outside the office fearing for the safety of her superior. While back in Miyazaki, Suzuki contacts the police with his only condition: the release of Niimii Masaomi or the hostages will be executed. Knowing the threat posed, the higher-ups decide not to release Nasaomi and proceed with plans to try to end the siege, but the planning proves risky as an officer who tries to photograph the gunmen on a balcony of the hotel gets shot while Hatomura and Naomi arrive to assess the situation to plan a rescue for the hostages but after analysing all the parameters they decide a direct assault is too risky, while a stealth operation is impossible with the tight security.

While covering up the dead Japanese official Kengo silently takes his cell phone just as Suzuki activates a bomb which will go off in 8 hours but Kengo is able to get hints to the bomb's location when he sees the wording 'NS-990VR' on the back of a computer screen for the device's timer, while the team goes over investigations to determine if the group has any other associates.

They soon get a break when a mechanic at the local Autobacs branch finds a paper with writing on it in the back seat of a vehicle he was cleaning. It turns out to belong to Toshio Hiura, a computer hacker who works for the organization. After confronting Hiura in an Internet cafe, where he jumps to his death, the team learns that NS-990VR is the number for a tour bus that is currently somewhere in the city. After pulling it over, they manage to evacuate it but with not enough time for Naomi to defuse it, Kazuma drives the empty bus, escorted by police units and a fire truck into a field with piles of sand; where he is able to bail out just a second before the bomb detonates.

Back in interrogation Niimii reveals that there is a second bomb also planted by the group but only decides to tell them the exact location provided they release him, which they do and show him to the group, with Suzuki bringing Kengo as proof of life, up to the roof of the hotel. There they learn that Niimii and Suzuki were brothers; whose parents were taken by foreign soldiers and executed, leaving them choosing the path of terrorism to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, Kengo tries to get the location of the second bomb by doing the same technique that helped determine the location of the first explosive device but gets caught along with the dead official's cell phone. While trying to flee, he is shot and killed by Makoto himself, much to the horror of the investigators. They decide to make the exchange in the lobby: Niimii for the other hostages while the other members of the Hatomura Force get into position to ambush the terrorists. After a brief brotherly hug Suzuki opens fire on Hato and a gun battle erupts, with a number of terrorists killed and most of the investigators wounded but the remaining terrorists escape in their SUVs, triggering car chases through the streets of Miyazaki which leave several police cars getting flipped and blown up just like in the original show.

Meanwhile, Naomi finds the body of her late father and superior and cries over it, but his death is not in vain as he is able to write down on his hand the words Marine Express, a ferry where the second bomb is planted. While the remaining members go after Suzuki, Niimii and their cronies Naomi and several officers locate the bomb in a truck inside the ferry but Naomi is forced to remove her gear due to a laser scanner system that will trigger the bomb.

After following them to a quarry, Hatomura is able to shoot Nasaomi just as Suzuki is able to get him onto a helicopter where he dies. But with a final battle inevitable they call for backup. Wearing only her latex suit she is able to crawl through the lasers and is able to stop the bomb by jamming the trigger with her late father's pen. Back at the quarry the police begin the assault on the Black Hawk headquarters, with several police cars getting destroyed by rocket launcher wielding terrorists. But with the cover from the riot squad who fire smoke grenades to cover the team's advance they are able to get inside the HQ, where they subdue some but kill most of the terrorists.

Inside the building however Suzuki is able to hold Kazuma at gunpoint, forcing Hato to put down his G36C. However, Tachibana is able to provide a distraction enabling him to escape and drawing Makoto and Hatomura into a fist fight until a pile of gravel nearly lands on them both, but Suzuki is able to get the carbine, forcing Eiji to shoot him. However, while he calls out for Tachibana the criminal mastermind is secretly reaching for his Walther P99. This is however spotted by Kazuma and he shoots the ringleader twice, who in spite of his injuries, is able to trigger the fuse for a massive bomb for the complex. Just as the Hatomura Force is able to escape the bomb detonates, destroying the HQ.

Later on Daimon and one of his colleagues contemplates on what has happened during the siege including the loss of Chief Inspector Kusaka. Later on he, Hato and the other officers in full uniform, with Kazuma's arm still in a sling from his injuries; salute at the hearse carrying Kusaka's casket, with Naomi in the front seat. He and Hato have a drink at the Corner Rouge, having a toast to their late colleague and Naomi's father. The next morning Daimon visits Kogure's grave to pay bis respects to his late friend and superior.

Several days later Kazuma returns to New York to lay flowers on Bob's grave, as his liaison period with the NYPD has ended and he is to take up his duties back home in Tokyo. Before he leaves Bob's wife gives Kazuma her late husband's necklace, which Bob always wore since it brought him good luck. Kazuma leaves but promises to visit them if the chance arises.

Kazuma arrives at his old workplace, his clothes in New York City replaced by the suit he wears for detective duty in Tokyo. Shortly after he is given his desk an alarm sounds of a new emergency, and Daimon wishes Kazuma good luck just as the Hatomura Force heads off, with the end credits rolling.

Cast

Chief Daimon, played by Tetsuya Watari

Section Chief Kogure, played by Yujiro Ishihara

Western Division officers

Tetsuya Watari - Section Chief Keisuke Daimon (also the producer for the show; like how Yujiro was both Section Chief Kogure and the producer of the old series.)

Hiroshi Tachi - Eiji 'Hato' Hatomura, the leader of the Hatomura Force and the officer in charge of the Tokyo-New York liaison.

Satoshi Tokushige - Kazuma Tachibana, a Tokyo Police detective who is on liaison with the NYPD, later resumes duties back in Tokyo after the death of his partner.

Nao Toda - Naomi Kusaka, a bomb squad officer who is the only female member of the Hatomura Force.

Ryosei Tayama - Kosaku "Ban" Bando, a Sub-Inspector with the Western Division's investigative bureau; he is seen more as a supervisor in the office.

Kimura Noboru - Osamu Mikami, the division's cyber-crime expert.

Ikeda Tsutomu - Takayuki "Matsu" Matsuyama, the division's heavy weapons expert.

Kaneko Kenji - Shohei Horiuchi; a very talkative loner who considers himself a rival to Tachibana.

Superior Officers

Osugi Rem - Kengo Kusaka, Chief Inspector, head of the Counter-terror Division and Naomi's father plus a colleague of Daimon's who also respects the late Kogure, even having a fountain pen with his name just like Daimon. He later gives the team intel on the plans of Black Hawk during the Phoenix Seagaia siege but ends up sacrificing himself to ensure the success of the op.

Murai Kunio - Uryu Shinsuke; Assistant Commissioner of the Western Division who is in charge of the investigation into Nasaomi Niimi and interrogator.

Keiko Takahashi - Aiko; Naomi's mother and Kengo's husband. She runs the Corner Lounge, the bar that also has bottles of alcohol with tags that are hung in memory of Kogure.

Antagonists

Kanda Masaki - Makoto Suzuki (real name: Akira Niimi); leader of the terrorist group Black Hawk and brother of Masaomi Niimi.

Tokuma Nishioka - Masaomi Niimi, brother of Makoto Suzuki. He was formerly a high-ranking officer of the Japanese Police but lost his job after a scandal, forcing him to turn to terrorism where he also learns about his long lost brother Akira (now named Makoto Suzuki), who had survived after their parents were executed by foreign soldiers when they were still young. He later dies just as Makoto gets him into a helicopter outside the Black Hawk terrorist HQ, forcing the chopper to leave with Masaomi's body in the rear.