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.

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

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.

Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) in Japan was reported at 0.22871 in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Intentional homicides (per 100;000 people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

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 ****.

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.

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 2021, 145 people in Japan were missing or killed due to snowstorms, while the number amounted to 30 people in the previous year. While major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka rarely receive snow, the northernmost main island Hokkaido and parts of the main island Honshu can receive large amounts of snow during the winter season.

In 2023, there were 60 persons wounded or killed due to earthquakes in Japan. The number of persons injured or killed by earthquakes peaked in 2011, with around 29 thousand people. In that year, the Great East Japan Earthquake, also known as Tohoku Earthquake, occurred. This was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan and caused a tsunami that led to the meltdown of three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The damage caused by surging water was more destructive than the earthquake, as it destroyed many Japanese cities.

In 2023, ***** people died after being shot in Japan. ***** of the victims were part of an organized crime group. That year, there were **** incidents of discharging firearms reported in Japan, of which ***** cases were related to crime syndicate groups.