The number of persons newly received by public prosecutors offices for the10most common special law offenses(including violation of ordinances)in2003is as follows:
Principal data for2003(special law offenses)
Cases(percent distribution)(year-on-year change)
[1]Road Traffic Law violation 795,009(86.6%)(-66,134)
[2]Stimulant Drug Control Law violation 22,087(2.4%)(-2,714)
[3]Vehicle Parking Spaces Law violation 17,529(1.9%)(-3,540)
[4]Immigration Control Law violation 13,603(1.5%)(+2,325)
[5]Minor Offenses Law violation 7,227(0.8%)(+714)
[6]Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law violation 5,704(0.6%)(+183)
[7]Firearms and Swords Control Law violation 5,235(0.6%)(+288)
[8]Public Offices Election Law violation 5,040(0.5%)(+4,249)
[9]Wastes Disposal Law violation 4,855(0.5%)(+514)
[10]Road Trucking Vehicle Law violation 3,108(0.3%)(-334) Others 38,297(4.2%) Total 917,694(-58,538)
(Source:Annual Report of Statistics on Prosecution)
  By type of offense,persons newly received for violation of the Road Traffic Law and Vehicle Parking Spaces Law(collectively referred to asroad traffic violation"in this white paper;see Notes)accounted for88.5%of the total persons received for special law offenses and for37.6%of the total including penal code offenses.Road Traffic Law violations do not include violations for which non-penal fines are already paid subject to the traffic violation notification system.

Fig. 1-1-2-1 Number of persons newly received by public prosecutors offices for special law offenses(1949-2003)

  Fig. 1-1-2-1 shows the trend in persons newly received by public prosecutors offices since1949for all special law offenses and for those special law offenses excluding road traffic violations.All special law offenses showed a sharp fall after a peak of more than5.14million in1965.They were within the1-1.5million range since1988,but have continued to fall below one million every year since2002.Special law offenses excluding road traffic violations have fluctuated within the80,000-90,000range since1992,but increased to105,156in2003.
  Fig. 1-1-2-2 shows the percent distribution of persons newly received by public prosecutors offices for special law offenses excluding road traffic violations categorized as special law offenses related to drugs,foreign nationals,public security,public morals,environment,elections,labor,economy,other special law violations,and ordinance violations.

Fig. 1-1-2-2 Percent distribution of special law offenses excluding road traffic violations within the number of persons newly received by public prosecutors offices,by type of offense(2003)