I. Definition of Offenses and Terms
1. Definition of offenses
(1) Unless mentioned otherwise, the term "penal code offense" means an offense prescribed by the Penal Code (Law No.45 of 1907) and the following special laws.
(i) Explosives Control Law (Cabinet Order No.32 of 1884);
(ii) Law relating to Duels (Law No.34 of 1889);
(iii) Law for the Punishment of Tax Stamp Crimes (Law No.39 of 1909);
(iv) Law Concerning the Punishment of Physical Violence and Others (Law No. 60 of 1926);
(v) Law Concerning the Prevention and Punishment of Burglary, Robbery, Larceny, etc. (Law No.9 of 1930);
(vi) Law Concerning the Punishment of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (Law No.68 of 1970);
(vii) Law for the Punishment of Crimes Relating to Environmental Pollution Which Adversely Affects the Health of Persons (No.142 of 1970);
(viii) Law Concerning the Punishment of Acts Causing Aviational Danger (Law 87 of 1974); and
(ix) Law Concerning the Punishment of Compulsion and Other Related Acts Committed by Those Having Taken Hostages (Law No.48 of 1978).
(2) The term "special law offense" means an offense against penal provisions other than the laws given above.
(3) The term "professional negligence" means professional or gross negligence causing death or bodily injury.
(4) The term "traffic professional negligence" means professional or gross negligence causing death or bodily injury by traffic accident.
(5) The term "road traffic violation" means violation of the Road Traffic Law (Law No.105 of 1960) or the Law on Securing Vehicle Parking Spaces, etc. (Law No.145 of 1962).
(6) The basic categories of penal code offenses enumerated in (1) above include the following types of offense variations, unless specified otherwise.
(i) attempt;
(ii) preparation;
(iii) instigation and assistance
(iv) offenses resulting in death or bodily injury;
(v) aggravated or mitigated forms of offenses prescribed in the Penal Code other than professional negligence; and
(vi) aggravated forms of offenses prescribed in the Law Concerning the Prevention and Punishment of Burglary, Robbery, Larceny, etc.
(7) The following penal code offense categories include the specific offenses in parentheses ( ).
(i) homicides (participation in suicide and consented homicide);
(ii) robbery (robbery resulting in homicide and rape in the course of robbery);
(iii) bodily injury (encouragement of bodily injury);
(iv) intimidation (compulsion);
(v) obstruction of the performance of an official duty (destruction of seals, etc. ); and
(vi) forgery and counterfeiting (forgery of various documents, making a false entry in an officially authenticated instrument, etc. , and the uttering of these forged documents).
2. Definition of terms
(1) "Clearance rate" refers to the percentage obtained from the following formula: cases cleared/cases reported x 100.
(2) "Prosecution rate" refers to the percentage obtained from the following formula: number of suspects prosecuted/number of suspects prosecuted + number of suspects not prosecuted x 100.
(3) "Suspended prosecution rate" refers to the percentage obtained from the following formula: number of suspects granted suspension of prosecution/number of suspects prosecuted + number of suspects granted suspension of prosecution x 100.
(4) "Suspended execution rate" refers to the percentage obtained from the following formula: number of offenders granted suspension of execution of sentence/number of offenders sentenced to imprisonment with or without labor for a limited term.
(5) Juvenile
(i) The term "junior juvenile" refers to a person 14 years of age or over but under 16 years of age.
(ii) The term "intermediate juvenile" refers to a person 16 years of age or over but under 18 years of age.
(iii) The term "senior juvenile" refers to a person 18 years of age or over but under 20 years of age.
(6) The term "final disposal" refers to the disposal of a case other than through transfer between Public Prosecutors Offices or suspension for prosecution, and through transfer or reference for judgment between courts.
(7) The term "share" refers to percentage, unless specified otherwise.
3. Abbreviation of offenses
  The following abbreviations are used in this paper for special law offenses. In Figures and Tables, the term "violation" is omitted for special law offenses except in titles and notes.
[Abbreviation]                                               [Offense]
Foreign Exchange Law violation                            Violation of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law (Law No.228 of 1949)
Alien Registration Law violation                            Violation of the Alien Registration Law (Law No.125 of 1952)
Marine Pollution Prevention Law violation                   Violation of the Law relating to the Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disaster (Law No.136 of 1970)
Loan Business Control Law violation                         Violation of the Loan Business Control Law (Law No.32 of 1983)
Pollution Crime Law violation                               Violation of the Law for the Punishment of Crimes Relating to Environmental Pollution Which Adversely Affects the Health of Persons (No.142 of 1970)
Firearms and Swords Control Law violation                   Violation of the Law to Control the Possession of Firearms and Swords (Law No.6 of 1958) (including violation of the Cabinet Order to Control the Possession of Firearms and Swords (Cabinet Order No.334 of 1950))
Investment Law violation                                    Violation of the Investment Deposit and Interest Rate Control Law (Law No.195 of 1954)
Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law violation  Violation of the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law (Law No.303 of 1950)
Antimonopoly Law violation                                  Violation of the Law concerning Prohibition of Private Monopoly and Maintenance of Fair Trade (Law No.54 of 1947)
Immigration Control Law violation                           Violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law (Cabinet Order No.319 of 1951)
Wastes Disposal Law violation                               Violation of the Wastes Disposal and Public Cleaning Law (Law No.137 of 1970)
Adult Entertainment Law violation                           "Violation of the Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses, etc. (Law No.122 of 1948)"
Door-to Door Sale Law violation                             "Violation of the Law Concerning Door-to-Door Sale, etc. (Law No.57 of 1976)"
Physical Violence Law violation                             Violation of the Law Concerning the Punishment of Physical Violence and Others (Law No.60 of 1926)
Vehicle Parking Spaces Law violation                        Violation of the Law on Securing Vehicle Parking Spaces (Law No.145 of 1962)
Narcotics Control Law violation                             Violation of the Law to Control Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Law No.14 of 1953)
Drunkenness Prevention Law violation                        "Violation of the Law for the Prevention of the Act of Causing Public Nuisance by Drunkenness, etc. (Law No.103 of 1961)"
Worker Dispatch Law violation                               "Violation of the Law for the Proper Operation of Worker Dispatch Business and the Improvement of Working Conditions of Dispatched Workers, etc. (Law No.88 of 1985)"
4. Abbreviation of country names
  The following abbreviations are used in the text as well as in Figures and Tables.
[Abbreviation]   [Official name]
U. S. A.           United States of America
Andorra         Principality of Andorra
Israel          State of Israel
Italy           Republic of Italy
Iran            Islamic Republic of Iran
Indonesia       Republic of Indonesia
Vietnam         Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Ecuador         Republic of Ecuador
Australia       Commonwealth of Australia
Netherlands     Kingdom of the Netherlands
South Korea     Republic of Korea
(North Korea    Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Singapore       Republic of Singapore
Switzerland     Swiss Confederation
Sweden          Kingdom of Sweden
Thailand        Kingdom of Thailand
China           People's Republic of China
Germany         Federal Republic of Germany
Turkey          Republic of Turkey
Norway          Kingdom of Norway
Pakistan        Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Bahamas         Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Bangladesh      People's Republic of Bangladesh
Fiji            Republic of Fiji
Philippines     Republic of the Philippines
Finland         Republic of Finland
Brazil          Federative Republic of Brazil
France          French Republic
Peru            Republic of Peru
Belgium         Kingdom of Belgium
Poland          Republic of Poland
Mexico          United Mexican States
Lithuania       Republic of Lithuania
U. K.             United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Russia          Russian Federation
[Note]
Japan has not recognized North Korea(Democratic People's Republic of Korea).
II. Data Sources
1. Statistical materials
  Statistics, figures, tables and other calculated data are primarily provided by the Criminal Affairs, Correction, Rehabilitation, Civil Liberties and Immigration Bureaus of the Ministry of Justice. Data are also obtained from various research and survey conducted by relevant agencies as well as from the following official statistics.
  Criminal Statistics by National Police Agency (Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency)
  Annual Report of Statistics on Prosecution (Judicial System and Research Department, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Justice)
  Annual Report of Judicial Statistics (General Secretariat of the Supreme Court)
  Annual Report of Statistics on Correction (Judicial System and Research Department, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Justice)
  Annual Report of Statistics on Rehabilitation (Judicial System and Research Department, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Justice)
  Annual Report of Statistics on Immigration Control (Judicial System and Research Department, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Justice)
(Notes)
(1) National Police Agency statistics were entitled "Criminal Statistics" until 1963 and renamed "Crime in 19xx (various years)" in 1964. For the purpose of this paper, both of them are referred to as "Criminal Statistics by National Police Agency. "
(2) Statistical data up to 1972 do not cover the cases in Okinawa Prefecture that occurred on May 14, 1972 or earlier.
2. Coverage of statistical materials
  In principle, statistical materials cover the period up to 1999 and include available data as of June 2000.
  The statistics for 1999 that were not officially available at the time of writing this paper are substituted with data obtained from the agencies concerned. The data thus obtained are provisional in nature and may differ from the corresponding data in official statistics to be published subsequently. In such cases, corrections will be made as appropriate in the White Paper on Crime for the coming years.
III. Presentation of Figures and Tables
1. Numbering of Figures and Tables
  The numbering of Figures and Tables is renewed for each Title and presented as roman numerals followed by serial numbers. (For example, Table II-3 indicated the third table in Title 2).
2. Data processing method
  The shares, indices, etc. , in statistical Figures and Tables represent rounded values. Therefore, shares do not necessarily add up to 100.0.
3. Presentation of values, etc.
(1) Values, etc. , in Tables are presented as follows:
(i) -: zero in number or not applicable, or zero in share or not applicable.
(ii) 0: number that does not reach 1 when rounded.
(iii) 0.0: share that does not reach 0.1 when rounded.
(iv) …: not available.
(v) Δ: decrease or decline from previous year, etc.
(2) Values in Figures are presented as follows:
(i) 0: zero in number or not applicable.
(ii) 0.0: share that does not reach 0.1 when rounded.