With the rise of sophisticated scams and anonymous crime groups, crimes in Japan are becoming increasingly complex — but interest in joining the police force is in decline.In a bid to reverse the trend, the National Police Agency is looking to change its image by easing some of its tough rules at police academies.The number of applicants for the police officer recruitment exam has declined significantly over the past decade. In fiscal 2024, the academy had around 43,000 applicants, less than half the estimated 93,000 applicants it had in fiscal 2015.