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 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 ****.

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

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.

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.

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.

This study considers semiparametric spatial autoregressive models that allow for endogenous regressors, as well as the heterogenous effects of these regressors across spatial units. For the model estimation, we propose a semiparametric series generalized method of moments estimator. We establish that the proposed estimator is both consistent and asymptotically normal. As an empirical illustration, we apply the proposed model and method to Tokyo crime data to estimate how the existence of a neighborhood police substation (NPS) affects the household burglary rate. The results indicate that the presence of an NPS helps reduce household burglaries, and that the effects of some variables are heterogenous with respect to residential distribution patterns. Furthermore, we show that using a model that does not adjust for the endogeneity of NPS does not allow us to observe the significant relationship between NPS and the household burglary rate. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.

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.

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 2024, the police in Japan recognized almost over 501,500 theft offenses, a decrease from around 807,560 thousand cases in 2015. The number of clearances reached approximately 166,000 in 2024.

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.

In 2024, the police in Japan recognized 588 cases of kidnapping or human trafficking, representing five consecutive years of increase. That year, The number of clearances for kidnapping and human trafficking was 556.