Police Precinct Part 12 (1960)
A grim trunk discovery at a Tokyo station launches a dual-city murder hunt across postwar Japan in this lean procedural thriller.
Police Precinct Part 12 - Movie Information
- Original Title: 警視庁物語 深夜便一三〇列車
- Release Year: 1960
- Directed by: Masuichi Iizuka
- Type: Movie
- Runtime: 1h 20m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): January 27, 1960 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: Police Precinct Part 12: Midnight Train 130 (JP)
- Production Companies: Toei Company
- Production Countries: Japan
Police Precinct Part 12 - Plot
In a corner of a warehouse at Shiodome Station, a alumni trunk, is found with the terrible smell of decay. The dead body of a woman is inside. Since the trunk was shipped from Osaka Tennoji Station, the murder investigation headquarters were established in Tokyo and Osaka.
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Police Precinct Part 12 - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Masuichi Iizuka
Main Cast
- Yūji Hori
- Kenji Imai
- Fumitake Ōmura
- Shoji Nakayama
- Mitsue Komiya
- Tatsuo Matsumura
- Takashi Kanda
- Tokue Hanazawa
- Rinichi Yamamoto
- Ken Sudo
Writers
- Kimiyuki Hasegawa
Police Precinct Part 12 - FAQs
What is Police Precinct Part 12 about?
Police Precinct Part 12 follows detectives investigating a grim discovery: a woman's decomposing body hidden inside a trunk at Tokyo's Shiodome Station. Because the trunk was shipped from Osaka's Tennoji Station, the case spawns parallel investigation headquarters in both cities, weaving a cross-country murder mystery.
Is Police Precinct Part 12 part of a series?
Yes, it's the twelfth entry in Toei Company's long-running Police Precinct (警視庁物語) series. The franchise, produced throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, followed Tokyo Metropolitan Police detectives through procedural crime investigations, and was one of Japan's most popular genre series of the era.
Who directed Police Precinct Part 12?
Masuichi Iizuka directed the film. He was a regular contributor to Toei's prolific genre output during this period, helming several entries in the Police Precinct series and helping define the grounded, procedural style that made the franchise a staple of Japanese postwar cinema.
What makes the trunk murder mystery compelling?
The film's central hook — a body shipped across Japan in a trunk — creates an unusual dual-city investigation structure. Detectives in Tokyo and Osaka must coordinate across distance, adding procedural tension and a sense of scale rare for a tightly budgeted 80-minute crime picture of its era.
Who are the main actors in Police Precinct Part 12?
The cast features Yūji Hori, Kenji Imai, Fumitake Ōmura, Shoji Nakayama, and Mitsue Komiya, alongside Tatsuo Matsumura, Takashi Kanda, Tokue Hanazawa, Rinichi Yamamoto, and Ken Sudo — a solid ensemble drawn from Toei's stable of reliable character actors.
When was Police Precinct Part 12 released?
The film opened in Japan on January 27, 1960. It was released under the original Japanese title 警視庁物語 深夜便一三〇列車, which translates roughly to Police Precinct Story: Midnight Train 130, referencing the overnight train route central to the plot.
What are similar films to Police Precinct Part 12?
If you enjoy this kind of methodical Japanese crime story, The Castle of Sand (1974) is an essential companion — a masterpiece of the genre. An Autumn Afternoon (1962) and Tokyo! (2008) also offer rich slices of Japanese life, while Murder on the Orient Express (2001) echoes the cross-country investigation premise.
How long is Police Precinct Part 12?
The film runs 80 minutes — a lean, efficient runtime that suits its no-frills procedural style. Rather than padding the story, the tight pacing keeps the investigation moving briskly from the grim discovery at Shiodome all the way to the resolution across two cities.
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