The widening the use of security cameras has helped lower Japan's crime rate, according to police data. Photo: WIKIPEDIA
crime

No. of recorded crimes in Japan hits record low in 2017, but cybercrime up

29 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

29 Comments
Login to comment

The overall number of cases has consistently declined in Japan after hitting a peak of 2.85 million in 2002, with the government stepping up efforts to tackle crime by boosting police numbers and widening the use of security cameras.

Yet there was a report on the news the other day that there has been a sharp INCREASE in crimes committed by POLICE!

Let's not forget that while the stats show that there may be an overall decrease, there is no information given about the demographics, or age groups, hard to judge the information when you have a country with decreasing population. Of course stats like this will fall as well!

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Probably because it's easier to get away with and much less personal than interacting with the victim in real life.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The number of foreign residents has increased, foreign tourist numbers are up sharply - and crime overall has decreased. So much for the threat of “foreign crime waves” some politicians have railed about in the past!

16 ( +19 / -3 )

No. of recorded crimes in Japan hits record low in 2017

No, that can't be. Posters here are always going on about how Japan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world! You can get killed by anyone, anywhere, anytime!

-5 ( +10 / -15 )

I think that the stats takers must not be reading JT, or they would see that there are crimes reported every single day. If they just read JT, they would realize that all their research on numbers is wrong, just look how many stories there are on JT!

9 ( +13 / -4 )

As spitting and slapping students is not a crime, I can see the decrease.

If crimes not reporting in the Japanese media are not counted as crimes, I can see the decrease.

If child neglect and abuse are not counted as crimes, I can see the decrease.

Basically, comparing JT Crime section 2016 ans 2017 or other ENGLISH news on Japan, I can see an increase. So, where do they get their stats?

3 ( +9 / -6 )

So much for the threat of “foreign crime waves” some politicians have railed about in the past!

The coppers have to justify their budget. Not only the police either, the secret services here spend vast sums spying on the residents.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/top-court-green-lights-surveillance-japan-muslims-160629040956466.html

"Igeta Daisuke, a Japanese lawyer who specializes in civil liberties cases, said that the XKEYSCORE revelation was “very important” for the country. The Japanese government’s use of the system could violate Japan’s Constitution, which protects privacy rights, Daisuke told The Intercept. He added that Japan has a limited legal framework covering surveillance issues, largely because the scope of the government’s spying has never before been disclosed, debated, or ruled upon by judges. “Japanese citizens know almost nothing about Japanese government surveillance,” said Daisuke. “It is extremely secret.”

https://theintercept.com/2017/04/24/japans-secret-deals-with-the-nsa-that-expand-global-surveillance/

Crime in Japan is very low, which is why it's splashed all over the media in the most lurid fashion when something terrible happens. Who needs a surveillance society when there's nothing much to watch?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Basically, comparing JT Crime section 2016 ans 2017 or other ENGLISH news on Japan, I can see an increase. So, where do they get their stats?

Better yet, don't use JT as your "source" for accurate information. You will see more information/articles HERE reporting crimes than you will see in an actual Japanese newspaper or evening news program.

This information will be reported in the Japanese news as a HUGE plus for society in general, and it will be used to further insulate the general public in their cocoon of comfort and safety!

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

This information will be reported in the Japanese news as a HUGE plus for society in general, and it will be used to further insulate the general public in their cocoon of comfort and safety!

good point Yubaru

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

How would you know what to know if a couple years ago the Chief of Police comes out and bows and apologizes for not reporting about 70,000 crimes so that politicians would be able to pad their stats.

In a couple years someone else could come out and bow again and say it was all fake again.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Basically, comparing JT Crime section 2016 ans 2017 or other ENGLISH news on Japan, I can see an increase. So, where do they get their stats?

I really, really hope this comment was meant to be ironic.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Incredible news! Still by far the safest country on Earth

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Safest country on earth? What have you been smoking? There is no safest country on earth.

I would like to see a breakdown of particular crimes and demographics. Maybe petty crimes are going down but heinous crimes like the 9 bodies found in Tokyo a few months ago and child-abuse are going up up up. I rather have 100 shoplifters than 1 child-killer.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

heinous crimes like the 9 bodies found in Tokyo a few months ago and child-abuse are going up up up. I rather have 100 shoplifters than 1 child-killer.

Evidence? Beyond what you read on JT, that is. I mean, I just read in the LA Times that two parents imprisoned and tortured their 13 kids for years, but I'm not going to lose my mind and declare that America's children are at "the greatest risk ever," without a lot more statistical evidence bearing out such claims. Judging a society's level of safety or criminality based on what you read at sites determined to highlight the most depraved crimes (i.e. click bait) is never a good idea. I mean, spend a week reading The Sun and you'd come away thinking the UK is an utterly lawless dystopia.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Incredible news! Still by far the safest country on Earth

Well, there is no agree upon definition of 'safest', but Japan generally comes in the top 5 no matter what metrics they are using.

Maybe petty crimes are going down but heinous crimes like the 9 bodies found in Tokyo a few months ago and child-abuse are going up up up.

Are they? Can you show us the numbers that support that?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The number of foreign residents has increased, foreign tourist numbers are up sharply - and crime overall has decreased. So much for the threat of “foreign crime waves” some politicians have railed about in the past!

Excellent post!

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Difficult to prove the crime rate as statistics are malleable, the police have hidden many crimes or don't count a rapist who pays his victim off, a murderer who gets a suspended sentence. So any objectivity is absurd as the people who compile the statistics and courts are more concerned with presenting a happy face over the truth.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

For such a safe country and for such a low crime rate, still a lot of heinous, strange, barbaric and morbid crimes. A lot as in relative to none.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Difficult to prove the crime rate as statistics are malleable, the police have hidden many crimes or don't count a rapist who pays his victim off, a murderer who gets a suspended sentence. So any objectivity is absurd as the people who compile the statistics and courts are more concerned with presenting a happy face over the truth.

You realize though that people who say 'the statistics aren't accurate, you can't believe them, crime is worse than ever' are literally admitting that their opinions are not based in fact, but just a general feeling. And where does that general feeling come from? Reading the news. And as newspapers are for-profit organizations that make money by writing articles that people read they will write things as scary as possible, as that keeps the readers coming back.

The fact is, the numbers are very likely not as accurate as they should be, but nonetheless do have a basis in fact, unlike an opinion garnered from a general feeling having read a few headlines.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

CrickyToday 10:21 am JST

Difficult to prove the crime rate as statistics are malleable, the police have hidden many crimes or don't count a rapist who pays his victim off, a murderer who gets a suspended sentence. So any objectivity is absurd as the people who compile the statistics and courts are more concerned with presenting a happy face over the truth.

As said above, you can modify the stats by changing the contents.. what is a crime in Japan?

also, as I wrote before, I doubt J.police actually considers all complains, and register them as they should. I have a personnal experience showing that. They tend to minimize fact, and "forget" to register assault. And then, do like nothing happened! Checking stolen bycicle is less troublesome than looking for a rapist!

With this attitude, of course crime rate in Japan are low. They could even say, there is no crime committed in this peaceful country.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The fact is, the numbers are very likely not as accurate as they should be, but nonetheless do have a basis in fact, unlike an opinion garnered from a general feeling having read a few headlines.

not as accurate as they should be, so inaccurate? An opinion cuts both ways. That's all we are saying an opinion. If I was wrong, or offended you I'm sorry. The rape statistics in Chiba don't match anything like the conviction rate. A few headlines? even one headline about a murderer getting a suspended sentence should be a concern let alone dozens.

As you yourself admitted likely not as accurate as they should be so we agree.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

too much data for one article. they should've broken this article up into pieces and then explained it a bit better. but there was one eye-popping stat i saw:

while there were 920 murder cases

what the?!? i thought this figure would be waaaay less since only a few murders are reported a week on JT...just kidding! but i am surprised at how "high" this is (although relatively low compared to 850 in Chicago alone in 2016). 

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

not as accurate as they should be, so inaccurate?

No crime stats anywhere are perfect, they are all inaccurate. That doesn't mean unusable. As long as the reporting methods are consistent, stats are good for showing trends, and to give an overall idea of what the crime is.

That's all we are saying an opinion.

The difference is that my opinion is based on actual numbers, an opinion that Japan is more dangerous than previously is based on....? Fantasy? Nothing in reality.

If I was wrong, or offended you I'm sorry.

You might be right, but if you are it's like when a broken clock is right at a certain time of day - it's coincidence, not design. And I'm not offended, I'm just pointing out a logical fallacy.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

SINCE1981 If child neglect and abuse are not counted as crimes, I can see the decrease.

Good point that's one area that has seen an increase, BUT overall Japan is still one of the safest Countries I've travelled too.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

YubaruToday 08:16 am JST

Basically, comparing JT Crime section 2016 ans 2017 or other ENGLISH news on Japan, I can see an increase. So, where do they get their stats?

Better yet, don't use JT as your "source" for accurate information. You will see more information/articles HERE reporting crimes than you will see in an actual Japanese newspaper or evening news program.

Almost all of the crime articles reported in JT and other English news on Japan are just translations from Japanese newspapers. And the Japanese reports of the Japanese newspapers are based on the reports by the Japanese police.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"The number of foreign residents has increased, foreign tourist numbers are up sharply - and crime overall has decreased. So much for the threat of “foreign crime waves” some politicians have railed about in the past"

This is because the tourist are coming in tour groups and they have to apply for a visa and thus undergo a background check by the Japanese consulate. The same goes for foreigners who are working in Japan. They go thru a background check first by their employer and then by the Japanese consulate. Moreover, they have to reapply every year. Thus, they are kept in line.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I find it interesting that every time that Japan publishes a statistic showing good news that every one writes that the statistic is bogus, But when Japan publishes a statistic showing bad news, every one agrees with the statistic and no one challenges the validity of the statistic. It shows how a lot people feel about Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

fraud committed via messages sent through social networking sites and other internet services has been trending upwards, with the police seeing 5,756 crimes last year, a 3.8-fold jump since 2013.

Kidnapping and human trafficking also increased, with the annual number rising 11 cases to 239 in 2017, a 1.3-fold climb since 2013.

holy smokes!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Number of "reported crimes"? How many crimes took place that were never reported? That would be very interesting!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites