This subsection reviews the trend in non-traffic penal code offenses excluding theft. Fig. 1-1-1-6 shows the numbers of reported cases,cleared cases,and persons cleared,and clearance rate for non-traffic penal code offenses excluding theft over the last30years.
  The number of reported cases has increased rapidly since2000,and exceeded500,000for the first time in the postwar period,reaching554,600in2003.
  The number of cleared cases had almost leveled off since1995,but has increased remarkably since2001.In2003,it increased by25,900(13.7%)from the previous year to214,709.The number of persons cleared,which has also been on the rise,increased by21,352(12.8%)from the previous year to188,507.The numbers of cleared cases and persons cleared were the largest since1971or1972.Nevertheless,the clearance rate has declined to38.7%in2003,the lowest level in the postwar period.
  The number of reported cases for non-traffic penal code offenses excluding theft has increased rapidly each year for the four years since2000,by22.4%,26.5%,20.6%,and16.4%respectively.Therefore,the number of cleared cases could not keep up with such a high pace,which is one of the reasons for the sharp fall in the clearance rate.

Fig. 1-1-1-6 Numbers of reported cases,cleared cases,and persons cleared,and clearance rate for non-traffic penal code offenses excluding theft(1974-2003)

  Fig. 1-1-1-7 shows the numbers of reported cases,cleared cases,and persons cleared,and clearance rate for major penal code offenses over the last20years(see Appendix 1-2 and Appendix 1-3 ).
  Reported cases for homicide leveled off or slightly increased after a lengthy downward trend.In2003,they reached1,452,the highest level since1989.The clearance rate for homicide has remained high at somewhere between94%and98%,a rate rarely found in other nations.
  Reported cases for robbery have increased remarkably in recent years,reaching7,664(up9.7%from the previous year)in2003.The clearance rate for robbery was50.3%(down0.8points from the previous year)in the year.
  Among other violent offenses,reported cases have continued to increase for assault,intimidation,rape,indecent assault,breaking and entering,and destruction of objects,while extortion has decreased for the last two years.On the other hand,fraud,one of the intellectual crimes,had been on a flat or downward trend until2001,but increased remarkably for the subsequent two years by14.8%and21.9%respectively,and reached60,298in2003.One of the reasons for the increase is the rapid increase in telephone fraud cases known as ore ore sagi("it's me,it's me"fraud)(see Subsection4(5) of this section).
  The clearance rate for injury,assault,extortion,rape and indecent assault,which had been on a declining trend for the last few years,leveled off or slightly increased in2003.On the other hand,the clearance rate for fraud has continued to fall drastically,decreasing by13.4points from the previous year to50.4%in2003.

Fig. 1-1-1-7 Numbers of reported cases,cleared cases,and persons cleared,and clearance rate,by type of major offense(1984-2003)