18

C. Loan Sharks
Loan sharks came to be recognized as a serious social issue around 2002. The police are cracking down on loan sharks
in accordance with the Program to Remedy Multiple Debt Problems. In addition, the police are requesting financial
institutions to freeze bank accounts used by loan sharks and internet service providers to shut down websites
advertising illegal money lending.
D. Intellectual Property Rights Violation
Violation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) continues to be an issue.
Examples of IPR violation include distribution of illegally copiedbusiness software and music data over the internet using file
exchange software, and transactions of counterfeit products on
websites. Counterfeit products are mostly smuggled from China andother Asian countries.
The police investigate these cases and promote public awareness on
IPR protection in cooperation with relevant ministries andorganizations.
IPRs protection campaign in Akihabara

In addition, the police are cracking down on theft of trade secrets.

7. Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and Sound Development of Youth

Number of Juveniles Arrested for Penal Code Offenses(1949-2019)2018(10,000 persons)(1:1,000 persons)

Number of Juveniles Arrested
Ratio to Population

18.0
16.0

16
Number of Juveniles Arrested

20.0

14.0

1212.01010.0

88.0

66.0

44.0

2

2.00

1949 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 15 17 19

Ratio to Population

140.0

Note: The number of juveniles arrested includes not only juveniles arrested but also those against whom necessary investigations have been
completed without detention; the same applies in this section below.

19A. Juvenile Delinquency
Juveniles arrested for Penal Code Offenses
The total number of juveniles (aged 14 to 19) arrested for Penal Code offenses in 2019 was 19,914, a decrease of 3,575(15.2%) from the previous year. The ratio of juveniles arrested for Penal Code offenses per 1,000 persons in the sameage group was 2.9, decreasing 0.5 points from the previous year.
Among all the persons arrested2 for Penal Code offenses (both adults and juveniles) in 2019, 10.3% were juveniles.
And among all the persons arrested for street crimes such as snatchings and street muggings in 2019, 34.8% werejuveniles.
B. Juvenile Victimization(1) Penal Code Offenses Victimizing Juveniles
In 2019, 93,795 Penal Code offenses that victimized juveniles were known to the police, a decrease of 8.5% from theprevious year. By category, felonies (murder, robbery, arson, and forcible sexual intercourse) stand at 838, an increaseof 10.3%; violent offenses stand at 7,955, a decrease of 1.2%; and larcenies stand at 77,855, a decrease of 9.3% fromthe previous year.
(2) Offenses Harmful to Juvenile Welfare
Welfare offenses are crimes harmful to juvenile welfare such as sexual exploitation of children.
In 2019, a total of 5,678 juveniles were victimized by welfare offenses, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year.
High school students topped the number of victims, followed by junior high school students.
The use of the internet in welfare offenses has become a serious issue. The police are strengthening crackdown efforts
on internet-related welfare offenses in order to prevent further harm to children, and working to protect the juvenilevictims of such offenses.
(3) Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation is of grave concern to the international community in light ofthe protection of children's rights and development of youth.
In 2019, 696 3 persons were arrested for child prostitution in 784 cases. For childpornography, 2,116 4 persons were arrested in 3,059 cases, recording the highest
numbers of both cases and persons arrested.
Child sexual exploitation continues to be serious. In view of this recognition, the "BasicPlan on Measures against Child Sexual Exploitation" was formulated in April 2017 at
the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures Against Crime.
As the primary activities of the police, the plan includes strict measures such as
strengthening crackdowns on crimes related to child sexual exploitation, developmentof comfortable environments for children and their parents/guardians for
consultations, promotion of public relations and public awareness-raising activities to prevent victimization by childprostitution and child pornography, and measures against entities which operate social networking sites and online
dating services. The police are promoting these countermeasures in cooperation with relevant institutions andorganizations based on the plan.
Child Sexual Exploitation
Awareness Poster

2This includes not only persons arrested but also those against whom necessary investigations have been completed without detention; the same
applies hereinafter.
3This number includes not only persons arrested but also those against whom necessary investigations have been completed without detention.
4
See note above.

20For details, please see our portal site “STOP! Child Sexual Exploitation”(http://www.npa.go.jp/safetylife/syonen/no_cp/measures/index_e.html).
(4) Child Abuse
Child abuse significantly infringes the rights of children and causes serious damages to their physical and psychologicaldevelopment as well as personality formation.
The police are making every effort to take appropriate measures to detect and protect victimized children at earlystages of child abuse, while strengthening cooperation with the relevant organizations.
(5) Bullying
There were 203 incidents attributable to bullying in 2019, an increase of 51 (33.6%) from the previous year.
The police are striving to identify bullying cases early on through actions such as counseling activities for juveniles andschool supporters’ visits to schools, and developing appropriate measures while keeping close communication withschools.
(6) Support for Juvenile Victims
Juvenile guidance officials provide continuous counseling services and other support to juvenile victims of crimes suchas bullying and child abuse, for supporting their recovery from psychological damages.
C. Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and Promotion of Sound Development of Youth(1) Various Preventive Measures against Juvenile Delinquency
The police, in cooperation with community juvenile police volunteers, are making
every effort to detect juvenile delinquents at early stages and provide guidance ina timely manner through on-the-spot protection and street guidance activities incrime-prone areas like entertainment districts and arcades.

A scene of street guidance
activities

In addition, the police not only contact juveniles who are likely to offend again but
support their recovery through counseling activities, home visits, participation incommunity services, etc. Furthermore, by raising awareness of the community
about the factors of juvenile delinquency, the police endeavor to develop a trend
toward supporting juveniles.

Furthermore, in order to enhance systematic and expert support for juvenile delinquents and their families, and tostrengthen assistance to minors harmed by crimes, Juvenile Support Centers are established in each PPH as specializedorganizations for juvenile support and guidance, staffed by juvenile guidance officials as the key figures.
Additionally, in order to protect juveniles against welfare offenses caused by the use of the internet and to promotesound development of the youth, the police promote efforts such as guiding juveniles who posted inappropriate
messages on the internet that could induce child prostitution.

21(2) Clearing up the Environment Surrounding Juveniles
In an effort to clean up the social environment to safeguard juveniles, the police, in cooperation with the community,relevant organizations and public authorities, are trying to apply appropriate measures to shut out the influences of
Boryokudan and control the flow of harmful information by sex-oriented entertainment establishments.
As the internet environment for juveniles has deteriorated recently, the police are making efforts to clean up theinternet through implementation of cyber-patrol and promotion of filtering, and requesting the internet industry toprovide self-restriction and other measures to safeguard juveniles.
(3) Counseling for Juveniles
The Young Telephone Center is a service provided by the police that offers counseling forjuveniles. It is staffed by experienced juvenile guidance officials and counseling specialists,
who provide necessary advice and guidance to troubled juveniles. In 2019, the police
handled 78,037 juvenile consultation cases.

A scene of juvenile counseling

D. International Cooperation (Countermeasures against Child Sexual Exploitation)
A collective action by the international community is necessary to counter sexual exploitation of children.
The NPA is exchanging information with foreign investigative authorities, arranging international cooperation incriminal investigation, and strengthening collaborative relationships through participating in the INTERPOLInternational Child Sexual Exploitation Database.
In December 2018, the NPA held "The 3rd Meeting of Specialist Group on Child Sexual Exploitation" by involving
domestic and international institutions and organizations. At the meeting, the NPA introduced the national
government's efforts against child sexual exploitation, and shared information with the relevant institutions andorganizations in order to strengthen mutual cooperation.

8. Countermeasures against Cybercrime
A. Overview(1) Cybercrime cases
The number of cybercrime cases cleared in 2019 was 9,519, an increase of 479 (5.3 %) from the previous year.
(a) Violations of the Act on Prohibition of Unauthorized Computer Access
The number of violations of the Act on Prohibition of Unauthorized Computer Access cleared in 2019 was 816, anincrease of 252 (44.7%) from the previous year.
(b) Crimes related to electromagnetic records with malicious commands and crimes targeting computers orelectromagnetic records
The number of crimes related to the electromagnetic records with malicious commands and crimes targeting
computers or electromagnetic records cleared in 2019 was 436, an increase of 87 (24.9%) from the previous year.
(c) Others
The number of crimes enabled by access to info-communications networks cleared in 2019 was 8,267, an increase of
140 (1.7%) from the previous year.