In 2023, approximately 389 theft offenses were recognized by the police per 100,000 inhabitants in Japan, representing the crime type that most frequently occurred in Japanese society. Property damage followed, with the rate of about 45.8 cases among 100,000 of the population.

In 2023, the Japanese police recognized 565.5 Penal Code offenses among 100,000 inhabitants, reaching the 500 mark for the first time in the 2020s. After reaching its peak in 2002 at 2,238.5 per 100,000 of the population, the crime rate in Japan continuously declined until 2021.

The police in Japan cleared 814 homicide cases in 2023, excluding unfounded or unpunishable cases. 268 murder cases involved the use of kitchen knives, followed by 69 cases using other types of knives.

Japan crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 0.23, a 9.93% decline from 2020.

• Japan crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was 0.25, a 0.12% increase from 2019.
• Japan crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was 0.25, a 4.12% decline from 2018.
• Japan crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was 0.26, a 9.48% increase from 2017.

Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.

In 2023, Japan recorded no execution of death sentences. 15 executions were reported in 2018, the highest number in the last decade.

In 2023, approximately 0.7 homicide cases were recognized by the police per 100,000 inhabitants in Japan. The murder rate in the country did not fluctuate much in the observed period.

In 2023, the number of male prisoners sentenced to death in Japanese penal institutions amounted to 99 inmates. There were no execution during the year.

In 2023, 17 people received a final judgment of a life sentence in prison at a court in Japan. 28 people were sentenced to an indefinite prison term in 2014, the highest number in the last decade.

Homicides of Japan increased by 1.40% from 285 number in 2021 to 289 number in 2022. Since the 0.31% fall in 2020, homicides dropped by 9.12% in 2022. “Intentional homicide” is defined as unlawful death purposefully inflicted on a person by another person

In 2023, approximately 183,270 suspects were cleared for theft offenses, of which about 21.5 percent were female. Compared to other charges, the share of women was highest among people suspected of theft, especially of shoplifting.

The average for 2017 based on 23 countries was 2.3 homicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in the Philippines: 8.4 homicides per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Japan: 0.2 homicides per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2017. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The Study’s Subject:

The German Statistical Office of the German Empire compiled a comparative representation of different countrie’s crime statistics. In this context the statistical office was faced with the problem of diverging methodologies and classifications of the countrie’s crime statistics data collections. After World War 1 the “International Statistic Institute (ISI)” and the “International Penal Law and Prison Commission” (IPPC) ) resumed their research activities in the fields of criminal statistics in international comparison. In this context the Statistical Office of the German Empire carried out an investigation of 33 european and non-european countries with the aim to work out a comparative compilation of various criminalstatistical classifications. Is was established that at the time of preparation a comparison of different classifications a comparable international data compilation could not be gathered due to significant differences between the classifications. Finally from the 33 countries it could be compiled time series on criminal statisics only for a small selection of countries. The reason for this situation was the lack of data material for many countries. Therefore, the development of crime could be presented in form of time series for the following countries: - Austria - England and Wales - France - German Empire - Sweden - Canada - Japan

In terms of the crime statistical objective data on lawsuit processes (for example the number of criminal proceedings) has not been incorporated. Furthermore, no data on the military criminal justice are included in the data compilation. The following information, which was available in the statistics, has been taken from the statistics for the data compilation:

Information on the persons, who has been accused or convicted: Number of persons totally, by gender, teenagers or adults. Information on the offences the persons were accused for: accused or convicted by groups of offences or single selected offences. The sentences imposed as results of lawsuit processes are not included in this data compilation.

Data tables in HISTAT (Thema: Kriminaltiät):

A. Österreich (Austria)

A.1 Rechtskräftig Verurteilte nach Geschlecht (Legally convicted by sex) A.2 Rechtskräftig Verurteilte wegen Verbrechen nach ausgewählten Deliktarten (Legally convicted of crimes by selected types of offences) A.3 Rechtskräftig Verurteilte wegen Verbrechen und Übertretungen zusammen nach ausgewählten Deliktarten (Legally convicted of crimes and violations by selected types of offences) A.4 Verurteilte auf 100.000 Strafmündige nach ausgewählten Deliktarten (Kriminalitätsziffern) (Convicted per 100.000 of population of the age of criminal responsibility by selected offences (crime rate))

B. England und Wales (England and Wales) B.1 Angeklagte wegen schwerer Vergehen vor Schwurgerichten und Vierteljahressitzungen nach Deliktarten (Accuesed of heavy offences at the jury court (Assizes) and at the „Quarter Sessions“ by types of offences) B.2 Angeklagte wegen schwerer und leichter Vergehen vor allen Gerichten insgesamt und vor den Gerichten für summarische Rechtsprechung (Accused of heavy offences and of petty offences at all types of courts and at courts of summary jurisdiction) B.3 Angeklagte und Verurteilte nach Geschlecht

C. Frankreich (France)

C.1 Verhandlungen vor Schwurgerichten (Hearings at the jury courts) C.1.1 Angeklagte vor Schwurgerichte nach Geschlecht (Accused at jury courts by gender) C.1.2 Anzahl der Verurteilten durch Schwurgerichte (Number of convicted by the jury court) C.1.3 Erhobene Anklagen nach Deliktart vor Schwurgerichten (Prosecutions by types of offences at the jury court)

C.2 Verhandlungen vor Strafgerichten (Hearings at the tribunal court) C.2.1 Angeklagte vor und Verurteilte der Strafgerichte insgesamt (Accused and convicted of tribunal courts, totaly) C.2.2 Anklagen vor Strafgerichte nach Deliktarten (Prosecutions at the tribunal court by types of offences)

D. Deutsches Reich (German Empire)

D.1 Abgeurteilte Personen und verurteilte Personen nach Geschlecht, Jugendliche und Vorbestrafte (1882-1927) (Persons judged and convicted persons by sex) D.2 Verurteilte Personen nach Deliktgruppen (1882-1927) (Convicted Persons by types of offences) D.3 Kriminalitätsziffern der verurteilten Personen - auf 100.000 der strafm. Bevölkerung (1882-1927) (Crime rate of convicted Persons – per 100.000 of population of the age of criminal responsibility) D.4 Kriminalitätsziffern der verurteilten Personen nach Deliktgruppe - auf 100.000 der strafm. Bevölkerung (1882-1927) (Crime Rate of convicted Persons by type of offence – per 100.000 of population of the age of criminal responsibility) D.5 Die Strafmündige Bevölkerung des...

Burglary of Japan slipped by 1.75% from 37,240 number in 2021 to 36,588 number in 2022. Since the 8.08% drop in 2010, burglary sank by 73.24% in 2022. “Burglary” means gaining unauthorised access to a part of a building/dwelling or other premises; including by use of force; with the intent to steal goods (breaking and entering). “Burglary” should include; where possible; theft from a house; appartment or other dwelling place; factory; shop or office; from a military establishment; or by using false keys. It should exclude theft from a car; from a container; from a vending machine; from a parking meter and from fenced meadow/compound. (UN-CTS M4.6)

114 cases of human trafficking were cleared in Japan in 2023, representing three consecutive years of increase. This resulted in the arrest of 55 people in the same year.

The police in Japan's Kanto region recorded 280 homicide cases in 2024. The Kanto region was followed by the the Kinki region, with more than 240 recognized murder cases. That year, the total number of murder cases recorded across Japan amounted to 970.

PERIOD: 1933-1937. By type of crime in Japan proper in 1937. SOURCE: [Annual Statistical Report on Criminal Cases; Statistics of Colonial Affairs; Criminal Statistics of Taiwan; Statistical Yearbook of the South Pacific Agency].

17,537 (Number) in 2021.

1.592 (Number) in 2020.

【リソース】WHITE PAPER ON CRIME 2008 / / PREFACE / NOTES / Principal Data_1 / Reported cases and crime rate / Persons cleared / Clearance rate / Overview_1 / Homicide_1 / Robbery / Injury, assault and intimidation / Fraud, etc. / Rape and forcible indecency / Damage to property / Giving and acceptance of bribes, etc. / Organized crime / Theft_1 / Principal Data_2 / Principal Special Act Offenses / Violations of the Minor Offenses Act, etc. / Violations of the Waste Management Act, etc. / Violations of the Child Welfare Act, etc. / Violations of the Stalker Control Act, etc. / Violations of the Public Offices Election Act / Offenses Related to Newly Established Acts / Trends in traffic offenses / Disposition by public prosecutors offices_1 / Disposition by courts_1 / Tax evasion / Economic offenses / Financial offenses / Intellectual property-related offenses / Bankruptcy-related offenses / Newly established act-related offenses / Trends in high-technology offenses / Disposition by public prosecutors offices_2 / Comparison of Crime Trends with Other Countries / Major Offenses / Homicide_2 / Theft_2 / Offenses Committed by Japanese Nationals Outside Japan / Crime Victimization of Japanese Nationals Outside Japan / Overview_2 / Prosecution_1 / Reception of Suspected Cases / Arrest and Detention of Suspects / Dispositions by Public Prosecutors Offices_1 / Trial / Defendants with a final judgement / The first instance / Appeals / Death penalty and life imprisonment with work / Imprisonment with or without work for a definite term / Fines / Detention and Bail / Correction of Adult Offenders / Rate of imprisonment of penal institutions / Number of inmates of penal institutions / Trends in the number of newly admitted sentenced inmates / Characteristics of newly admitted sentenced inmates / Overview of treatment / Work / Correctional guidance / Medical care and hygiene, etc. / Maintenance of discipline and order / Appeal system / Cooperation from outside volunteers / Penal Institution Visiting Committee / Provision of information in regard to the release, etc. of sentenced inmates / Fine defaulters in workhouses / Treatment of Unsentenced Inmates, etc. / Rehabilitation Services / Parole / Number of parole applications / Number of parolees / Proportion of served sentence terms before parole / Parole of life imprisonment inmates / Probation/Parole Supervision_1 / Probationers/parolees under supervision / Treatment of probationers/parolees / Measures for probationers/parolees / Termination of probation/parole supervision_1 / Assistance during supervision and urgent aftercare of discharged offenders / Halfway houses / Pardon / Nongovernmental support organizations / Crime prevention activities / Trends in International Efforts in Criminal Justice / Measures against transnational organized crimes / Measures against terrorism and money laundering / Measures taken by the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting / Measures against drug-related offenses / Measures against crimes involving children / Measures against bribery and corruption / Measures against cybercrime / Transfer of sentenced persons / The International Criminal Court / Transnational fugitives from Japan / Extradition of fugitive offenders / Assistance in investigation, etc. / Judicial assistance / Training cooperation, etc. at UNAFEI / Legal technical assistance / Newly entering foreign nationals / Foreign nationals who are illegally overstaying / Deportation / Penal code offenses / Special act offenses / Disposition by public prosecutors offices_3 / Disposition by courts_2 / Correction_1 / Probation/parole supervision_2 / Trends in Boryokudan Members / Penal code offenses and special act offenses / Firearm offenses / Dispositions by public prosecutors offices_2 / Correction_2 / Probation/parole supervision_3 / Stimulants Control Act violations / Narcotics and Psychotropic Control Act violations, etc. / Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act violations / Seizure of stimulants, etc. / Implementation of the Act on Special Provisions for Narcotics / Disposition by public prosecutors offices_4 / Disposition by courts_3 / Correction_3 / Probation/parole supervision_4 / Trends in Crimes / Disposition by public prosecutors offices and courts / Correction_4 / Probation/parole supervision_5 / The Act on Medical Care and Treatment for Insane Persons, etc. / Hearings pertaining to public prosecutor's application / Medical care by hospitalization / Hearings pertaining to discharge or continuation of hospitalization / Treatment in local communities / Repeat offenders among persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses / Previously convicted persons among adults cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses / Previously convicted persons among those prosecuted / Revocation of suspension of execution of sentence / Correction_5 / Probation/Parole Supervision_6 / Trends in Juvenile Delinquency / Juvenile delinquency / Juvenile delinquents / Number of juve

The police in Japan recorded 970 murder cases in 2024, a light increase from the previous year. A regional breakdown of murder cases showed that the majority of cases in 2024 occurred in Japan's Kanto region.