Japanese Ministry of Magic

Business Overview

Welcome to the Japanese Ministry of Magic! Located in Kyoto—with the exception of Department Four located in Tokyo—the Japanese Ministry of Magic has existed in one form or another for around 1,000 years, though this most recent iteration has existed mostly unchanged only since the 19th Century. It is the ultimate authority for the magical residents of the islands of Japan. It consists of the Magistracy—a combined law enforcement and judiciary—and four departments: the Department of Education, Sports, and Transportation; the Department of International Magical Cooperation; the Department of Supernatural Resources; and the mysterious Department Four.

Structure

The Magistracy

The Magistrates hold tremendous power within Magical Japan, being both the enforces of the law and the judges who determine the fates of those they apprehend. Magistrates are appointed by the Chief Magistrate, who is in turn appointed by the Minister for Magic. Each Magistrate is an individual actor assigned to a particular prefecture, city, or even district. Tokyo, for example, has a Magistrate for nearly every special ward and city.

Magistrates are each allowed to bring on their own support staff, with more senior Magistrates being afforded a larger budget than junior Magistrates. Typical support staff include secretaries, legal experts, and deputies.

Department of Education, Sports, and Transportation

This famously overcrowded department is a hodgepodge of offices that seem to have little enough to do with one another. The Bureau of Sports tends to get the most funding, though many quietly wonder what they even do with that money. Meanwhile, the Bureaus of Education and Transportation are often understaffed, leading to long waiting periods for certifications and licenses.

Department of Supernatural Resources

This department exists to safeguard and regulate Japan’s various magical plants, animals, and locations. It controls the licensing of wand and broom makers and yokai handlers, as well as collecting revenue for various tourist destinations for magical travelers.

Department of International Cooperation

Founded initially to foster participation in the International Confederation of Wizards and to enforce the International Statute of Secrecy, the department has expanded to include representatives for the International Magical Trading Standards Body and other bodies.

Of particular note is the Office for the Enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy, which contains the Excuse Committee and the Incident Erasure Squad, an elite team similar to Obliviators who call themselves Adepts of the Empty Mind.

Department Four

The mysterious Department Four is the most recent addition, and its goings-on are heavily classified. Here, highly skilled witches and wizards study the integration of magical spells and non-magical spells, much like the enchanted objects from days of old. Particular interest is paid to the globally connected information network that non-magicals call “the internet,” though divisions studying subjects such as magical vehicles and enchanted video games systems also exist.

Job Ideas: Magistrate, Tengu Liaison, Broom Regulator

The Japanese Ministry of Magic is a Harry Potter canon business created for the original book series. Ideas and theories may be expanded upon, but established canon details cannot be altered. We recommend using the Harry Potter Lexicon or Wiki as information resources. Other questions can be referred to our staff team via PM or help desk.