VII. Government Initiatives
1. Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime
Considering the current situation where juvenile and heinous crimes occur frequently among thepeople's everyday lives, the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime wasestablished. The first meeting of the Ministerial Meeting was held in September 2003. The Prime
Minister presided over this meeting, which was composed of all the Cabinet ministers. The meetinghas the mission to take effective, comprehensive, and active measures in close cooperation withthe ministries and other governmental agencies concerned with activities against crime in order torestore Japan as the safest country in the world. After the first meeting, the Ministerial Meeting
Concerning Measures against Crime met often to devise various measures adapted to address thecrime 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 a whole stronger against crime. As a result, some improvement was seen in publicorder in Japan, as the number of reported crimes has fallen to less than half the level reached in theworst post-war period.
Meanwhile, given the fact that new threats, such as cybercrimes, cyberattacks, international
terrorism, and organized crime, are emerging, and that social structure is changing, the strategy tocreate the safest country in the world was drawn up in December 2013 (approved by the Cabineton the same day) with a view to creating "the safest country in the world, Japan" by reducing crimeand building public confidence in security within seven years before the Tokyo Olympics andParalympic Games, which will be held in 2020. The strategy has been followed-up every six months
to steadily realize its aims.
In FY2020, the 33rd Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime, which was held in
November 2020, discussed 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 Congresson 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 measures against drug abuse, such as the securing of close cooperation between
concerned administrative authorities, strict control of drugs, and publicity and public awareness forsecuring 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.
Recognizing the need for medium and long-term strategies to fight 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 inAugust 2008, and the Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy Acceleration Plan; thus promotingcomprehensive and aggressive measures. By these strategies, certain results were achieved; forinstance, 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 thedesignated ones have appeared and are easily available on the internet. Given these facts, theFourth 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 othermeasures; [ii] prevention of repeated drug abuse through medical treatment or support forrehabilitation for abusers; [iii] eradication of smuggling organizations, strict control of abusers, andstrengthening of inspections and instructions; [iv] prevention of drugs from entering Japan throughinspection at the border; and [v] international cooperation to prevent the smuggling of drugs. 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 theMeeting for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse held in August 2018, follow-ups areconducted every year.
(Reference) Members of the Meeting for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse
Chief:
Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare
Deputy Chiefs:
Chair of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of Justice
Minister of Finance
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Members:
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 wasestablished in 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 Measures against Firearms under the Ministerial Meeting
Concerning Measures against Crime.
In December 1995, an outline for the promotion of measures against firearms, which clarified thebasic government policy on measures against firearms, was drawn up. Concerned government
agencies have cooperated to proceed with various measures, drawn up promotion plans for eachyear, and followed up on the progress of the plans.
At present, based on the Five-year Plan on Promotion of Measures against Firearms, which wasestablished in July 2019 in order to materialize measures provided in the outline from a mid- andlong-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
AgencyDirector-General of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of National
Police Agency
Chief of Organized Crime Department of the Criminal
Investigation Bureau of National Police Agency
Director-General of Minister's Secretariat of Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications
Director-General of the Criminal Affairs Bureau of Ministry ofJusticeDeputy Director-General of Immigration Services Agency ofJapan
Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau of Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Director-General, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science
Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Director-General of the Customs and Tariff Bureau of Ministry ofFinance
Deputy Director-General of Fisheries Agency
Director-General of Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau ofMinistry of Economy, 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