Viewing the state of offenses committed against Japanese nationals overseas, as ascertained by overseas embassies through their Japanese citizen protection work, there were 6,676 cases in 1999 (an increase of 2.9% from the previous year), involving 7,591 Japanese nationals (an increase of 1.7%)(source:Consul and Migration Affairs Department, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
  The majority of the offenses were larceny, with 5,288 cases accounting for 78.3% of the total number in 1999. This was followed by robbery with 938 cases (14.1%) and fraud with 316 cases (4.7%).
  By region, the largest number of offenses were committed in Europe (2,860 cases, 42.8%), followed by Asia (1,905 cases, 28.5%), and North America(1,090 cases,16.3%), in that order. Offenses committed against Japanese nationals per 100,000 Japanese visitors by region numbered 130.8 persons in Europe, 25.5 in Asia, and 20.6 in North America, in that order. This differs from the order of Japanese nationals traveling abroad by region(see Fig. I-21 ).
  Viewing a breakdown of offenses by region, the most common in Europe was larceny with 81.4% (2,329 cases), followed by robbery with 15.9% (456 cases) and fraud with 1.7% (50 cases), in that order. In Asia, larceny accounted for 71.6% (1,364 cases), fraud for 11.5% (220 cases), and robbery for 10.8% (205 cases). In North America, larceny accounted for 93.3% (1,017 cases), robbery for 3.9% (43 cases), and fraud for 1.3% (14 cases). Thus, although the three most common offenses are the same in all these regions, the respective ratios and order of frequency with which larceny, robbery, and fraud occur is different.
  Meanwhile, fatalities due to crime perpetrated against Japanese nationals have moved between around 10 and 30 since fiscal 1990 (using the fiscal year until fiscal 1994 and the calendar year thereafter). In 1999 there were 24 such fatalities. On the other hand, the number of persons injured after falling victim to crimes such as bodily injury, assault, and robbery was 292 in 1999. This is 4.6 times the corresponding number of 63 persons in fiscal 1990, far exceeding the increase in Japanese travelers overseas.