In response to the indiscriminate bomb attacks by extremist groups in 1974, the Law Concerning State Compensation for the Victims of Crime, etc. was promulgated on May 1, 1980 and came into force in January 1981. This came against the social background of increased public demand for governmental relief systems for victims, because little relief was provided for the victims of such bomb attacks or random killings.
  Later, when incidents of indiscriminate injury and killing occurred such as the Sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway trains in 1995, the public became aware that victims of such offenses were in a terrible situation and there was a growing demand for support for such victims including improvement of the crime victim benefit systems. In light of this, measures were taken to improve relief systems with the intention of expanding the scope of eligible persons for benefits and increasing the amount of benefits, and the law was revised accordingly in July 1, 2001 (The Japanese name for the law was changed while the English name remained the same).
  Under the Law, the government pays crime victim benefits to bereaved families of those who are killed, those who are seriously injured or disabled by offenses with the nature of killing or injuring. These systems have been established to support victims and their families who cannot receive any effective relief because the perpetrators do not have sufficient financial resources.
   Table 3-2-2-1 shows the application for crime victim benefits and amounts paid for the damage of criminal offenses for the past 10 years.
  The benefits are paid in a lump-sum, and are divided into 3 types: "survivor's benefits" paid to bereaved families of victims of criminal offenses; "disability benefits" paid to victims disabled by criminal offenses; and "serious injury/sickness benefits" paid to victims who suffered serious injury or sickness due to criminal offenses. Application for crime victim benefits is made to the prefectural public safety commission that has jurisdiction over the address of the victim, and based on this application, the prefectural public safety commission confirms the statutory requirements relating to the provision of crime victim benefits, clarifies the factual relation with damage from criminal offenses and determines whether the crime victim benefits shall be provided or not. Application for crime victim benefits cannot be made after 2 years have passed since the date when the victims knew of the occurrence of damage from crime offenses, or after 7 years have passed since the date of occurrence of damage from crime offenses.

Table 3-2-2-1 Applications for crime victim benefits and amounts paid (1992-2001)