自粛警察

jishuku keisatsu
nounIntermediate vigilante enforcers of social distancing
informal

A group of online vigilantes who publicly shame or harass people for violating social distancing or other public health guidelines, often based on unverified information.

自粛警察がレストランの写真をSNSに投稿し、客が密集していると非難した

The self-restraint police posted a photo of a restaurant on social media and condemned the customers for crowding together

💡

This term emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, where some individuals took it upon themselves to monitor and report perceived violations of public health measures.

Collocations

自粛警察に批判されるto be criticized by self-restraint police自粛警察の標的になるto become a target of self-restraint police

Related Phrases

自粛監視phrase
self-restraint monitoring
自粛パトロールphrase
self-restraint patrol

💡Pro Tip

Context Matters

This term is almost always used in a critical or negative context, highlighting the tension between public health and personal freedom.

Gold Rule

Avoid Misuse

Do not use this term to describe official government enforcement; it specifically refers to unofficial online vigilantes.

📖Word Origin

From 自粛 (jishuku, 'self-restraint') + 警察 (keisatsu, 'police'). The term combines the idea of voluntary social distancing with the concept of enforcement.

📝Usage Notes

This term is often used critically to describe overzealous or judgmental behavior online. It reflects broader societal tensions around public health measures and individual freedoms.

Word Breakdown

自粛
self-restraint
root
+
警察
police
root
和英辞典