CHAPTER 2 THE CRIME SITUATION IN JAPANI.

PENAL CODE OFFENCES

A.

Trends in Penal Code Offences

Figure 1 shows the number of Penal Code offences known to the police, and the number of Penal
Code offenders cleared by the police (the number of Penal Code offenders detected or identified by thepolice) from 1946 to 2009.
The number of Penal Code offences known to the police increased every year from 1996, marking a
new post-World War II high each year, and peaked in 2002, when the number reached 3,693,928. However,from 2003, there was a continuous decrease and, in 2009, the number of Penal Code offences known to thepolice totalled 2,399,702, a 5.3 percent drop from the previous year.

Fig.1 Number of known cases and persons cleared of Penal Code offences (1946-2009)(ten thousand cases)(ten thousand persons)
400

Numberof known cases
一般刑法犯／１万(Negligence in driving causing death or bodily injury)
検挙人員 刑法犯

350

Number of known cases(Theft)

検挙人員 窃盗を除く一般刑法犯

Number of known cases(Non-traffic Penal Code Offences Excluding theft)

300

Number ofknown cases(Penal Code offences)
2,399,702

250200

Number ofknown cases(Non-traffic Penal Codeoffences)
1,703,369

150
Number of persons cleared(Penal Code offences)
100
Number of persons cleared(non-traffic Penal Code offences)

Number of persons cleared(non-traffic Penal Code offences excludingtheft)

50

Number ofknown cases(Non-traffic Penal Codeoffences excluding theft)
404,075

0
1946

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

Note:

1990

1995

2000

2005

2009

1. Until 1955, illegal behaviour by persons under 14 years of age is included.
2. Non-traffic Penal Code offences until 1965 mean Penal Code offences excluding negligence in the pursuit ofsocial activities.
Source: Criminal Statistics by National Police Agency, White Paper on Crime 2010.

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Table 1 shows the number of Penal Code offences known to the police, the number of Penal Codeoffences and offenders cleared by the police, and the clearance rate of major offences in 2009. Of the Penal
Code offences known in 2009, theft was the most prevalent, with 1,299,294 offences known, constituting
54.1 percent of the total. The second most prevalent offence was negligence in driving causing death orbodily injury, with 696,333 offences known, constituting 29.0 percent of the total. These two offences
together accounted for approximately 83 percent of the total number of known Penal Code offences in2009.
The number of cleared Penal Code offenders, crossing the 1,000,000 mark in 1998, increased everyyear from 1999, marking a new post-World War II high each year, and peaked in 2004, when the number
reached 1,289,416. However, the number of cleared Penal Code offenders has decreased every year since2005, totalling 1,051,838 in 2009, a 2.8 percent drop from the previous year.
As for the age distribution of offenders cleared of non-traffic Penal Code offences (Penal Codeoffences excluding negligence in driving causing death or bodily injury etc.), those aged 60 or overaccounted for 3.2 percent in 1980, but rose to 20.6 percent in 2009. Also, those aged 65 or over accounted
for 14.4 percent in 2009.
With regard to the gender of offenders cleared of non-traffic Penal Code offences, male offenders
numbered 262,971, comprising 78.9 percent of the total, while female offenders numbered 70,234,
comprising 21.1 percent of the total in 2009.

Table 1. N umber of Known and Cleared Penal Code Offences and Cleared Offenders and Clearance
Rate of Major Offences (2009)
Balance over thePrevious Year
Known
ClearedPenal Code Penal CodeOffenders
Offenders

Offence

Known
PenalCodeOffences

ClearedPenalCodeOffences

ClearedPenalCodeOffenders

Clearance
RateTotal

2,399,702

1,241,357

1,051,838

51.7%

Δ133,649(Δ5.3%)

Δ30,117(Δ2.8%)

Murder

1,094

1,074

1,036

98.2%

Δ203(Δ15.7%)

Δ175(Δ14.5%)

Robbery

4,5122,923

3,069

64.8%

234(5.5%)256(9.1%)Theft

1,299,294

361,969

175,823

27.9%

Δ73,546(Δ5.4%)

1,085(0.6%)

Fraud

45,16228,753

12,542

63.7%

Δ19,265(Δ29.9%)506(4.2%)

Embezzlement

65,17661,75760,992

94.8%

Δ 5,188(Δ7.4%)

Δ4,404(Δ6.7%)

Negligence in driving
causing deathor bodily injury

696,333

696,333

718,633

100.0%

Δ18,644(Δ2.6%)

Δ23,222(Δ3.1%)

Others288,13188,54879,74330.7%

Δ17,037

Δ4,163

Notes: 1. Figures in parentheses show the rate of increase or decrease. Δ indicates a decrease.
2. Figures in parentheses show percent change.
Source: Crime Statistics provided by the National Police Agency.

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The clearance rate of Penal Code offences, which used to be about 70 percent, showed a marked
declining tendency from 1988. In 2001, the clearance rate was the lowest since World War II: 38.8 percent
for all Penal Code offences and 19.8 percent for non-traffic Penal Code offences. However, the situation
has improved since 2002 and in 2009 it reached 51.7 percent for all Penal Code offences and 32.0 percent
for non-traffic Penal Code offences.
B.

Trends in Some Major Crimes

The number of murders known to the police, having been generally flat in recent years, was 1,094 in
2009. The clearance rate of murders remains steadily high and was 98.2 percent in 2009.
Known cases of robbery reached 7,664 in 2003, the highest on record since 1951. From then thenumber decreased for five years. However, the number increased in 2009, reaching 4,512. The clearance
rate of robbery was 64.8 percent in 2009.
With regard to theft, the number of known cases showed an increasing tendency and, in 2002,
reached 2,377,488, the worst post war record. The clearance rate also decreased and, in 2001, declined to15.7 percent which was the lowest in the post-war period. However, both the number of known offences
and the clearance rate have improved, with offences totalling 1,299,294 in 2009 and a clearance rate of
27.9 percent for the same year.
Concerning fraud, the number of known cases has increased significantly since 2002, reaching arecord high of 85,596 in 2005, the highest total since 1960. However, since 2006 it has decreased every
year and was 45,162 in 2009 (29.9 percent down over the previous year). The clearance rate reduced
sharply from 1997 and recorded a post-war low of 32.1 percent in 2004. But the rate showed a recovery
from 2005 and was 63.7 percent in 2009. In recent years, a major modus operandi in fraud cases has been
“Furikome Fraud” – confidence tricks designed to induce bank transfers.

II.

SPECIAL LAW OFFENCES

Recently, the total number of Special Law offenders newly received by the public prosecutors offices
has generally been on a declining trend, and in 2009 totalled 604,098, which was a 5.9 percent decreaseover the previous year. Of that number, Road Traffic Act violators accounted for 487,142 offenders (80.6
percent of the total), followed by violators of the Stimulants Control Act, who numbered 19,365 (3.2
percent of the total). The third largest group of offenders was violators of the Minor Offences Act, whonumbered 16,396 (2.7 percent of the total).

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