Crimes in Japan Up 4.9 pct for 4th Year of Rise

Tokyo, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)–The number of crime cases recognized in Japan in 2025 rose 4.9 pct from the previous year to 774,142, up for the fourth straight year, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The number exceeded that in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise was led by a marked increase in crimes by “tokuryu” anonymous and fluid crime groups, such as telephone and other crimes classified as special fraud, as well as romance and social media-based investment scams. The amount of damage from such crimes climbed 1.6 times to 324.1 billion yen, hitting a record high. “The situation is severe, and people’s sense of security has been negatively affected,” National Public Safety Commission Chairman Jiro Akama told a regular press conference. “We want to realize the world’s safest country by implementing strategic crackdowns on tokuryu.” Recognized crime cases continued decreasing after peaking in 2002. But the annual number began to rebound after hitting the bottom in 2021. The rebound was previously thought to have stemmed mainly from an easing and removal of the restrictions on business and other activities implemented during the pandemic. But given that the latest tally exceeded the 2019 level, it is clear that the public safety situation has deteriorated. “The crime situation is severe,” the NPA said. In comparison with recognized crime cases in 2019, intellectual crimes such as scams and moral offense including secret filming and nonconsensual obscenity more than doubled, while vicious crimes expanded 1.5 times. Theft declined 3.5 pct from 2019, but it grew for the fourth consecutive year. The number of recognized cases of phone and romance scams and investment fraud via social media reached a record high of 42,900. Police arrested or took other enforcement action against 12,178 people over activities related to tokuryu, up 2,073. Most of them were perpetrators of scams and drug-related crimes, while there were few leaders of tokuryu groups. Among theft, which accounted for two thirds of last year’s recognized crime cases, food shoplifting and crimes targeting vacant houses stood out. Precious metals and outdoor units of air conditioners were stolen in many theft cases at vacant houses. The number of thefts targeting vacant houses totaled 13,971, jumping more than fourfold since the agency began taking the data in 2020. But metal theft, which soared last year, was down 24.1 pct thanks to the effects of related legislation. The amount of money stolen through unauthorized remittances via internet banking services and the number of reported cases of phishing both hit a record high. The number of stalking suspects subjected to arrests or other enforcement actions rose to the highest level since related stricter legal rules were put into force, as did the number of consultations on domestic violence by spouses or other partners. The number of cases in which foreign visitors were subjected to arrests or other enforcement actions surged 31.4 pct to 17,614. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]