Ⅶ．GOVERMENT INITIATIVES
1. Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against CrimeConsidering the current situation where juvenile and heinous crimes occur frequently among the people's
everyday lives, the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime was established. The first meetingof the Ministerial Meeting was held in September 2003. The Prime Minister presided over this meeting, which
was composed of all the Cabinet ministers. The meeting has the mission to take effective, comprehensive, andactive measures in close cooperation with the ministries and other governmental agencies concerned withactivities against crime in order to restore Japan as the safest country in the world. After the first meeting, theMinisterial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime met often to devise various measures adapted toaddress the crime situation, with the focus placed on support for action by the public to secure their own safety,
development of a social environment where crime is less likely, and various anticrime measures including
border measures. These measures were advanced as comprehensive anticrime action to make society as awhole stronger against crime. As a result, some improvement was seen in public order in Japan, as the numberof reported crimes has fallen to less than half the level reached in the worst post-war period.
Meanwhile, given the fact that new threats, such as cybercrimes, cyberattacks, international terrorism, andorganized crime, are emerging, and that social structure is changing, the strategy to create the safest country in
the world was drawn up in December 2013 (approved by the Cabinet on the same day) with a view to creating"the safest country in the world, Japan" by reducing crime and building public confidence in security withinseven years before the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games, which was scheduled to be held in 2020. The
strategy has been followed-up every six months to steadily realize its aims.
In December 2020, the 33rd Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime was held anddiscussed the revision of its agreement in April 2016 on the holding of the Liaison Committee among
Ministries and Agencies on Measures against Sexual Exploitation of Children, etc., current status of initiatives
for preventing recidivism, and the holding of the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice(Kyoto Congress).
(Reference) Members of the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime
Chief: Prime Minister
Members: All the Cabinet Ministers

2. Meeting for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse
Based on a Cabinet decision in January 1997, the Headquarters for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent
Drug Abuse was established in the Cabinet. While the Headquarters actively promoted various measuresagainst drug abuse, such as the securing of close cooperation between concerned administrative authorities,strict control of drugs, and publicity and public awareness for securing public understanding and cooperation,
the Headquarters was reorganized and convened as the Meeting for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent
Drug Abuse under the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime in December 2008.
In order to eradicate drug abuse, the Headquarters decided on the Five-year Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy
in May 1998, the New Five-year Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy in July 2003, the Third Five-year Drug
Abuse Prevention Strategy in August 2008, and the Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy Acceleration Plan in July
2010; thus promoting comprehensive and aggressive measures. By these strategies, certain results wereachieved; for instance, the number of young people arrested for abusing methamphetamine or cannabis
decreased. Drugs sold as "legal herbs," however, spread and in some cases, users of such drugs committed
secondary crimes, and the drugs damaged users' health. Even substances similar to the designated ones haveappeared and are easily available on the internet. Given these facts, the Fourth Five-year Drug Abuse
Prevention Strategy was newly established in August 2013. This strategy aims at the [i] promotion of
prevention of drug abuse by raising public awareness or other measures; [ii] prevention of repeated drug abuse
through medical treatment or support for rehabilitation for abusers; [iii] eradication of smuggling organizations,strict control of abusers, and strengthening of inspections and instructions; [iv] prevention of drugs fromentering Japan through inspection at the border; and [v] international cooperation to prevent the smuggling ofdrugs. In July 2014, Emergency Measures to Eradicate Dangerous Drug Abuse were compiled as crimes andfatal traffic accidents by dangerous drug abusers came to be recognized as a serious social problem. At present,based on the Fifth Five-year Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy, which was decided at the Meeting for thePromotion of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse held in August 2018, follow-ups are conducted every year.
(Reference) Members of the Meeting for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse
Chief:
Deputy Chiefs:

Members:

Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare
Chair of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of Justice
Minister of Finance
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Minister of State for Youth Affairs
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety
Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

3. Meeting for the Promotion of Measures against Firearms
On September 19, 1995, the Headquarters for the Promotion of Measures against Firearms was establishedin the Cabinet, and had promoted measures proactively, while securing close collaboration among relevant
administrative organs. In 2008, this headquarters was re-formed as the Meeting for the Promotion of Measuresagainst Firearms under the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime.
In December 1995, an outline for the promotion of measures against firearms, which clarified the basic
government policy on measures against firearms, was drawn up. Concerned government agencies havecooperated to proceed with various measures, drawn up promotion plans for each year, and followed up on theprogress of the plans.
At present, based on the Five-year Plan on Promotion of Measures against Firearms, which was establishedin July 2019 in order to materialize measures provided in the outline from a mid- and long-term perspective
and implement them strategically, follow-ups are conducted.
(Reference) Members of the Meeting for the Promotion of Measures against Firearms
Chief:
Chair of the National Public Safety Commission
Members:
Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Public Relations Secretary
Director-General of Community Safety Bureau of National Police Agency
Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of National Police
AgencyChief of Organized Crime Department of the Criminal Investigation Bureauof National Police Agency
Director-General of Minister's Secretariat of Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications
Director-General of the Criminal Affairs Bureau of Ministry of JusticeDeputy Director-General of Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Director-General, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Departmentof Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Director-General of the Customs and Tariff Bureau of Ministry of Finance
Deputy Director-General of Fisheries Agency
Director-General of Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of Ministry ofEconomy, Trade and Industry
Director-General of Policy Bureau of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism
Vice Commandant of Japan Coast Guard
Director-General of Nature Conservation Bureau of Ministry of theEnvironment