In 2023, approximately *** 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 **** cases among 100,000 of the population.

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, the number of sentenced female inmates in Japanese penal institutions amounted to 2,917. The majority of which were sentenced to imprisonment without partial suspension of execution.

In 2023, the total number of sentenced male inmates in Japanese penal institutions amounted to approximately 30,970. The majority of which were sentenced to imprisonment without partial suspension of execution.

Historical chart and dataset showing Japan crime rate per 100K population by year from 1990 to 2021.

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

The average for 2017 based on 97 countries was 7.4 homicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in El Salvador: 61.8 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 number of cleared cybercrime cases in Japan amounted to about ***** thousand in 2023. It consistently increased in recent years. Most common type of cleared cybercrimes are frauds A breakdown of cleared cybercrime cases shows that fraud was the most common type of cleared cybercrime, followed by violations of the law against child pornography. The latter continues to be a problem despite a revision of the legislation in 2014 following international concern about the sexual exploitation of children in Japan. Crimes involving financial damages repeatedly made the headlines in Japanese news outlets in recent years. The number of online banking frauds surged in 2023, which led to an increase in the amount of money lost through online banking frauds. Improving Japan’s cybersecurity strategy Preventing damages by cyberattacks has become more and more important as citizens and the economy increasingly rely on online networks and services. As Japan was elected host of the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2013 and the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) introduced the vision of an increasingly interconnected “Society 5.0” in 2016, there was a strong motivation to improve the country’s cybersecurity strategy. Among other things, Japan enacted the Basic Act on Cybersecurity and established the Cybersecurity Strategic Headquarters in 2014. In 2022, a new bureau featuring a special investigative team dedicated to cybercrimes was established at the National Police Agency. The bureau is supposed to centralize cybercrime related tasks and features a special investigative team that handles threats such as attacks on local governments and critical infrastructure.

In 2023, **** percent of foreigners who were arrested in Japan for criminal offenses or law violations were **********. That year, Chinese nationals accounted for the ************** share of arrests, at approximately **** percent.

Number, percentage and rate (per 100,000 population) of homicide victims, by racialized identity group (total, by racialized identity group; racialized identity group; South Asian; Chinese; Black; Filipino; Arab; Latin American; Southeast Asian; West Asian; Korean; Japanese; other racialized identity group; multiple racialized identity; racialized identity, but racialized identity group is unknown; rest of the population; unknown racialized identity group), gender (all genders; male; female; gender unknown) and region (Canada; Atlantic region; Quebec; Ontario; Prairies region; British Columbia; territories), 2019 to 2023.

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

A survey conducted in Japan in December 2023 found that four percent of men and almost three percent of women reported using an illegal drug in their lifetime. Marijuana emerged as the most used substance, with just over two percent of men and almost one percent of women having tried it. Following marijuana, inhalants, methamphetamine, and ecstasy were the most common illegal drugs consumed in Japan. Overall, gender disparities in usage patterns are notable, with the men's share of using illegal drugs mostly higher than that of women. Public perception of cannabis and youth involvement While many other countries are moving towards legalizing cannabis, Japan tightened its laws in 2023, making ownership and consumption of cannabis illegal with prison penalties of up to seven years. Public opinion remains largely skeptical of cannabis use, even for medical purposes. A July 2024 survey found that more than half of respondents did not view cannabis as a legitimate healthcare solution, while only ten percent were in favor of it. In recent years, the number of arrests for cannabis-related crimes was highest among people in their twenties, followed by teenagers. Drug crimes The total cases of reported drug-related crimes in Japan remained at around 18,000 per year, and gang crime-related drug arrests even saw a decline in recent years. Overall, Japan sees a low rate of drug use disorders compared to other industrialized nations. One reason may be that Japan has strict drug laws with penalties such as fines of up to ten million Japanese yen or imprisonment of up to ten years for possession, use, and sale of illegal drugs, including marijuana.

In 2023, approximately 11.53 thousand foreigners in Japan were arrested for criminal offenses or violations of law. The highest number of annually arrested foreigners within the past decade was reached in 2020 with close to 11.8 thousand arrests.

In 2023, **** cases of incidents involving the discharge of firearms were reported in Japan. Although figures fluctuated from year to year, this continued a general downward trend after the decade-high number of ** gun shooting incidents reported in 2014. ***** people died from gun shooting incidents in 2023. Gun control Gun possession for general citizens in Japan is strictly regulated under the Act for Controlling the Possession of Firearms or Swords and Other Such Weapons enacted in 1958. According to the act, gun possession is only allowed for hunting and shooting sports purposes. The only firearms permitted for ownership are hunting rifles, shotguns, other hunting guns, and air guns. It is required to undergo numerous procedures to obtain a gun permit, such as providing a resume and a medical certificate from a psychiatrist, attending classroom lectures and technical training, and passing exams. Applicants must repeat similar procedures every three years to renew the permit. As of 2023, about ******* guns were owned with licenses among citizens across the country. The number of confiscated weapons in 2023 amounted to *** pistols, ***** hunting guns, and ** air guns. Killing of Shinzo Abe Ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, was shot and killed in July 2022. The incident marked the first assassination of a former Japanese prime minister since 1936. The suspect used a homemade gun created with DIY store materials. Following the incident, experts suggest tightening the security system for politicians and regulations for handmade or modified guns.

The number of consultations regarding cyber crimes in Japan stood at almost 127 thousand in 2018. While the number was lower than in the previous year, it constituted an increase of almost 50 thousand cases compared to 2012.

Business-related crimes most common issue

A breakdown of the consultations showed that illegal business practices were the most common reason for consultations in Japan. The most common cyber crime damages experienced by companies included crimes such as targeted email attacks and attempts to infect companies with computer viruses. In order to protect themselves, Japanese companies employ various forms of information security measures. A survey on the leading internet security measures showed that four out of five businesses had installed antivirus programs on devices to protect their systems and information from threats as of December 2019.

Lack of awareness with regard to cyberbullying

Another issue that has impacted online users in Japan and elsewhere is cyberbullying. By exploiting the accessibility and anonymity of the internet, victims are harassed and bullied in a worldwide connected space, in which countermeasures are not fast enough to contain the threats. Among young people aged 17 to 19 years old, around 12 percent had experienced online defamation as of June 2020. An earlier survey on the topic revealed that less than 60 percent of Japanese had experienced or heard of cyberbullying, showing a lack of awareness of this type of online threat.

According to a survey conducted in August 2023, more than ** percent of companies in Japan were affected by targeted e-mail attacks within the past 12 months. While almost a quarter of companies had detected computer viruses without being infected, more than five percent had been infected with a virus at least once. The same survey showed that the share of companies that had experienced cybercrime damages within the past 12 months amounted to almost ** percent.

Around ** percent of minors who were sent to juvenile detention homes in Japan committed theft offenses in 2021. This was the most common crime type committed by minors in Japan that led to their incarceration, followed by bodily harm to others.

The number of recorded rapes in Japan increased to approximately ***** cases in 2024 from the previous year. The number of reported non-consensual indecencies also increased to nearly ***** cases. In 2023, amendments to the Penal Code expanded the definition of rape, which up to that point was interpreted as forced intercourse, including forced anal and oral sex, to non-consensual intercourse.

The United States had, by far, the highest homicide rate of the G7 countries between 2000 and 2023. In 2023, it reached 5.76 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, a decrease from 6.78 in 2021. By comparison, Canada, the G7 nation with the second-highest homicide rate, had 1.98 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023. Out of each G7 nation, Japan had the lowest rate with 0.23 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

In 2024, the police in Japan recognized almost over ******* theft offenses, a decrease from around ******* thousand cases in 2015. The number of clearances reached approximately ******* in 2024.