Article 199

①When there exists sufficient probable cause to suspect that an offense has been committed by a suspect, a public prosecutor, public prosecutor's assistant officer or judicial police official may arrest said person upon an arrest warrant being issued in advance by a judge; provided however, that with regard to offenses punishable with a fine of not more than 300,000 yen (20,000 yen for the time being for offenses other than those under the Penal Code, the Act on Punishment of Physical Violence and Others and the Act on Penal Provisions related to Economic Activities), penal detention or a petty fine, the suspect may only be arrested if the suspect has no fixed dwelling or if said suspect fails, without a justifiable reason, to make the appearance provided for in the preceding Article.

②If a judge deems that there exists sufficient probable cause to suspect that the suspect has committed an offense, said judge issues the arrest warrant set forth in the preceding paragraph, upon the request of a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer (in the case of a judicial police officer who is a police official, only a person designated by the National Public Safety Commission or the Prefectural Public Safety Commission and who ranks as equal to or above chief inspector; the same applies in the following paragraph and Article 201-2, paragraph (1)); provided however, that this does not apply if the judge deems that it is clearly not necessary to arrest the suspect.

③When asking for the arrest warrant set forth in paragraph (1), a public prosecutor or judicial police officer must inform the court of all requests or issuances of arrest warrants, if any, that have previously been made against the same suspect for the same offense.