As for crime trends in recent years, the number of reported cases for penal code offenses has registered postwar highs for 6 consecutive years since 1996. In 2001, it increased by 325,000 from the previous year to 3,580,000, among which 2,735,000 were for general penal code offenses. Additionally, 2,340,000 of them were for larceny which comprised the main part of general penal code offenses. On the other hand, the number of cleared cases and number of persons cleared reached 1,388,000 and 1,195,000, respectively. However, clearance rates decreased by around 4 points to 38.8%, and those for general penal code offenses registered a postwar low, numbering 19.8%. As the reason behind this trend, it can be pointed out that the number of persons cleared increased from the previous year but the number of reported cases far exceeded the number of cleared cases.
  By offense, the number of reported cases has continued to register postwar highs not only for larceny, traffic-related offenses, drug offenses, and offenses committed by visiting foreign nationals, but also for the 9 types of violent offenses featured in this report: that is, robbery, bodily injury, assault, intimidation, extortion, rape, indecent assault, breaking and entering, and destruction of objects. This trend in the 9 types of violent offenses deserves attention. Among these offenses, the number of reported cases for destruction of objects, assault, breaking and entering, indecent assault, and robbery has increased, by over 20% compared to the previous year. As stated previously, the 9 types of violent offenses are classified as violent crimes that can happen close to home, and also crimes that can have a terrifying effect on people attempting to go about their daily lives in a peaceful manner and heighten fear and anxiety in society.
  Accordingly, we will examine the recent characteristics of the 9 types of violent offenses which have continued increasing, based on results of the detailed analysis that was conducted in previous chapters in order to grasp the actual status and trends of these offenses. Since this analysis is based only on the materials available, we should await future study and research in order to obtain detailed information. However, it seems to be also significant to analyze the characteristics of the 9 types of violent offenses from the viewpoint of statistical trends.
(A) In terms of the type of offense, we can point out the following 2 characteristics.
  The first characteristic is that offenses for the purpose of theft such as robbery and extortion have increased. The Japanese economy, which contains a sense of uncertainty about the future, has continued to remain sluggish after the collapse of the bubble economy. Some major companies such as financial institutions and listed companies went into bankruptcy. Moreover, discharge and layoff have increased, and the overall jobless rate has continued to rise. It can be considered that the social and economic factors above and moral degeneration caused the increase in simplistic offenses for the purpose of stealing money and goods.
  The second characteristic is that offenses which tend to be imitated by others such as convenience store robbery, robbery committed by targeting people in transit, and robbery targeting financial institutions, etc, have increased. These 3 offenses are marked by frequent media coverage and low-clearance rates excluding robbery targeting financial institutions. Among them, convenience store robbery has a strong tendency to be imitated by others, on the grounds that targeted stores are likely to overlook the crimes of the perpetrators in case of the theft of small amounts of money in order not to be attacked by them again and therefore, perpetrators can often successfully commit these offenses.
(B) In terms of the nature of offenses, we can also point out the following 2 characteristics.
  The first characteristic is that the nature of offenses has become heinous and the number of offenses committed by groups has increased. Regarding robbery, extortion, bodily injury, rape and indecent assault, the number of victims resulting in death or bodily injury has increased. In particular, as for robbery, the numbers of victims resulting in death, or severe or slight injury have all increased, and the number of offenses committed with the use of weapons has still accounted for more than 50%. Compared to other offenses, the number of persons that die or suffer bodily injury per case is high for robbery, and it can be considered that this type of offense sometimes takes on the character of heinous nature and is likely to create victims. Furthermore, it can be pointed out that, concerning both adults and juveniles, the rate of offenses committed under the cooperation of accomplices has increased for general penal code offenses since 1999. In particular, concerning robbery and breaking and entering, as seen in the increase in the number of offenses committed through the cooperation of 5 accomplices or more, the number of offenses committed by a group has become remarkably high.
  The second characteristic is that first-time offenders who have no previous convictions sometimes commit offenses against victims with whom they are acquainted, without the use of actual weapons on the street. According to the information above, it can be presumed that impulsive, momentary, and simplistic offenses have increased. In the field of juvenile delinquency, the existence of "a juvenile who gets mad easily" has already become a social problem. However, in recent years, the cases where adults committed impulsive, momentary, and simplistic offenses have also increased, and it can be presumed that a category of "adults who lose their temper easily" has emerged. As the reason behind this, it can be considered that the environment surrounding adults has deteriorated markedly, as seen in weakened family bonds, accumulated daily stress, the unstable economic situation, and anxieties related to unemployment etc.
(C) In terms of the personal status of offenders, we can point out the following trends.
  The first is that offenses committed by elderly persons have increased. Elderly offenders came to commit not only property offenses, but also sexual offenses such as indecent assault, which were rarely seen in previous statistics. Therefore, the criminal justice system in an aged society should be developed in close consideration of the diversification of offenses committed by elderly offenders.
  The second is that visiting foreign nationals continue to frequently commit heinous offenses such as robbery, etc. In conjunction with the growing internationalization of Japan, the offenses committed by visiting foreign nationals have increased more than 7-fold in the last 20 years, among which homicide and robbery, etc. of heinous nature have increased remarkably. In particular, concerning robbery, the rate of visiting foreign nationals to total persons cleared was high, numbering 7.5%, and as for homicide, it numbered slightly less than 5.0%. Considering that these heinous offenses tend to be imitated by others, it is likely that offenses by visiting foreign nationals, such as robbery, will play a pioneering role in the trend of heinous offenses by Japanese.
(D) Regarding the subject of offense, we can point out the following.
  The type of offenders has gradually expanded to general citizens who have no previous convictions. This trend seems to be a problem, because, in the past, the majority of offenders in Japan were members of illegal crime groups such as organized crime groups, etc., or offenders with previous convictions. Therefore, the measures that were effective for such offenses were designed for these specific offenders. However, in recent years, the number of offenses committed by general citizens without previous conviction has increased, and some new measures for offenses should be taken in consideration of this trend.
  (E) Finally, in terms of regional peculiarity, it can be presumed that the differences of types of offense in each region have been gradually disappearing. Robbery targeting financial institutions, nowadays, is not a peculiar offense of major cities. Bodily injury, which comprises the main part of violent offenses, has increased rapidly on a nationwide scale. Consequently, it can be pointed out that every type of offense has gradually become widespread in every region.
  As the reason behind recent characteristics of 9 types of violent offenses, it can be considered that traditional crime deterrents do not function adequately. A long time has passed since anonymity, mutual indifference, and moral degeneration became big problems in major cities in conjunction with the appearance of the mass society. Moreover, these problems seem to be expanding to suburban cities. Traditionally, mutual surveillance and concern have functioned well as crime deterrents against offenses. However, since regional peculiarity in offenses has been disappearing, there is a possibility that the 9 types of violent offenses will increase not only in particular regions but also in other regions. Moreover, the recent increase in offenses seems to have been caused due to the fact that traditional crime deterrents in Japan became ineffective, which includes malfunctioning of home and school as an educational institution.
  Public institutions cannot adequately cope with such crime trend by themselves, and therefore it is important to establish some cooperative structure between the government and the people. In conjunction with various changes in the society, offenses will become complex, skillful and diverse. Moreover, types of offenses that go beyond traditional values and frameworks might appear due to internationalization, the aging of the population resulting from the decline in the birthrate, and the accelerated development of technology, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to establish new measures against crimes in consideration of the crime trends of the near future, and local communities, criminal justice agencies, and private organizations engaged in preventing offenses, etc. should make efforts to establish a stable society, by cooperating with each other and strengthening mutual understanding.