During the post-war period, the Japanese economy in general achieved sound economic growth, albeit with some fluctuation induced by business cycle. Against this backdrop, corporate and other economic activities not only expanded their scale exponentially but also experienced accelerated qualitative changes such as diversification, sophistication and internationalization. In response to each stage of such economic growth, various measures to regulate economic activities were taken both in terms of legislation and implementation, including the introduction and revision of penal provisions as well as their enforcement. In recent years, however, the collapse of the so-called bubble economy has often resulted in cases of significant influence on national economy and the living of the population, mainly involving major bankruptcies and the collection of non-performing debts. As future developments in the economy remain unpredictable, many uncertain factors will affect the trend of economic offenses; that is, offenses committed in violation of laws and regulations governing economic activities and other offenses committed in relation to such activities.
  Under such economic circumstances, the attention of the public has been increasingly focused on various economic offenses that undermine the soundness of economic activities, which is supposed to provide a stable base for daily life. How to respond to economic offenses has also become one of the compelling issues in criminal justice agencies.
  Relevant measures have also been taken in recent years in foreign countries to prevent economic offenses, including the review of fines and other economic punishments, the introduction of systems that allow the waiver of prosecution or the reduction of punishments for cooperating in criminal investigations as well as the establishment of new specialized investigating authorities. Apparently, many of those measures provide some useful references for Japan.
  In light of such developments, the present White Paper provides an overview of recent crime trends and the treatment of offenders, mainly in fiscal 1999. It also includes a featured segment entitled "Economic Offenses: Current Condition and Countermeasures" to provide useful information in discussing effective and appropriate measures against economic offenses by conducting necessary analysis on the trend of economic offenses in post-war Japan, the involvement of economic offenses in corporate activities and bankruptcies and punishments for such offenses, as well as the trend of economic offenses in foreign countries. It would be a great pleasure for me if the present White Paper could make some contribution to crime prevention and the progress in the treatment of offenders, including the promotion of measures against economic offenses.
  Last but not the least, I would like to reiterate my gratitude to the General Secretariat of the Supreme Court, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and other related agencies for their substantial cooperation in preparing this paper.
October 2000
KOROYASU  Kenji   PresidentResearch and Training Institute Ministry of Justice Japan