KUTCHAN, Hokkaido—Raised in a region of the world known for its hot temperatures, Hideki Yamanaka is now stationed at “koban” police box during the chilly winter months here mainly to help ...

As other cops on the beat here have done for nearly six decades, Shion Takeuchi casts a vigilant eye on Tokyo’s bustling Roppongi district out of a “koban” police box. While on the job ...