In response to the deterioration of the criminal trend, the government held the ministerial meeting on countermeasures against crimes in September 2003 and confirmed the significance of the following three viewpoints to restore public safety: "support for the general public's activities to secure their own safety," "development of the social environment less prone to crimes," and "various crime prevention measures including shoreline countermeasures." In December 2003, the ministerial meeting established the "Action Program to Create a Crime-Resistant Society - Aiming for the Restoration of Japan as the World's Safest Country -" based on these three viewpoints. The Action Program aims to relieve public anxiety over safety, putting a brake on the increase in crimes, and escaping from the crisis situation in five years.
  The program sets the following five top priority issues to promote concrete measures for each of them: "prevention of familiar offenses that may threaten peaceful life;" "prevention of juvenile offenses that should be coped with by the whole society;" "response to threats coming beyond national borders;" "protection of the economy and society from organized crimes, etc.;" "and infrastructure development for restoring public safety."
  Major contents are as follows.

  It was determined to promote measures for the "restoration of local solidarity and realization of sound and safe communities," "promotion of dissemination of products and systems effective for crime prevention," and "protection of crime victims."
  With regard to the "restoration of local solidarity and realization of sound and safe communities," 19 concrete measures were specified, including "support for local residents and volunteer groups coping with voluntary crime prevention activities," "development and management of roads, parks, and parking lots that will have fewer offenses committed," and "promotion of safety measures at schools, etc." (for local crime prevention activities, see Section 2 of this Chapter).
  With regard to the "promotion of dissemination of products and systems effective for crime prevention," 15 concrete measures were specified, including "dissemination of equipment to prevent car theft," and "promotion of measures to prevent unauthorized use of bank accounts" (for the Act on Verification of Customers' Identification by Financial Institutions and Prevention of Unauthorized Use of Bank Accounts, etc., and the Act on Verification of Subscribers' Identification by Portable Audio Communication Carriers and Prevention of Unauthorized Use of Portable Audio Communication Services, etc., see Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 3).
  With regard to the "protection of crime victims," eight concrete measures were specified, including "promotion of measures for victims in criminal proceedings," and "promotion of support for victims, etc." (for the Basic Act on Crime Victims and the Basic Plan for Crime Victims, see Section 3, 6 of this Chapter; and for consideration for victims in criminal justice, see Part 5, Chapter 2).

  It was determined to promote measures for "strict and appropriate response to juvenile offenses," "activities for fostering sound juveniles that will lead to the prevention of juvenile delinquency," and "enhancement of collaboration of related agencies to protect juveniles from delinquency."
  With regard to "strict and appropriate response to juvenile offenses," six concrete measures were specified, including "review of probationary supervision of juvenile delinquents," "clarification of investigative authorities concerning cases of juvenile offenders under 14," and "deliberation on legislation for juveniles and problems in its operation" (for the Bill on the Partial Amendment to the Juvenile Act, etc., see Section 3, 5 of this Chapter).
  With regard to "activities for fostering sound juveniles that will lead to the prevention of juvenile delinquency," 14 concrete measures were specified, including "early detection of and early measures for juvenile delinquents by strengthening guidance of juveniles," and "promotion of education in local communities and development of comfortable places for juveniles."
  With regard to "enhancement of collaboration of related agencies to protect juveniles from delinquency," two concrete measures were specified, including "promotion of dissemination of juvenile support teams through collaboration of related agencies, etc."

  It was determined to promote measures for the "promotion of shoreline monitoring and crackdown," "promotion of measures against illegal entry and illegal overstay," "strengthening of investigation of offenses committed by visiting foreigners," and "enhancement of collaboration of related foreign agencies."
  With regard to "promotion of shoreline monitoring and crackdown," nine concrete measures were specified, including "prevention of illegal export of stolen vehicles, etc."
  With regard to "promotion of measures against illegal entry and illegal overstay," 18 concrete measures were specified, including "tightening of residential status checks upon immigration examination," "strengthening of exposure of illegal immigrants and streamlining of the deportation system," "deliberations on development of legal systems for punishing acts concerning human trafficking," and "development of legal systems for decreasing illegal immigrants" (for promotion of measures for illegal entry and illegal overstay, see Section 6 of this Chapter; for the Act for Partial Amendment to the Penal Code, etc. (Act No. 66 of 2005), which contains the establishment of punishment for human trafficking, etc., see Section 3, 2 of this Chapter; and for the Act for Partial Amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, see Section 3, 10 of this Chapter).
  With regard to "strengthening of investigation of offenses committed by visiting foreigners," two concrete measures were specified, including "promotion of crackdown of offenses committed by visiting foreigners and appropriate criminal disposition."
  With regard to "enhancement of collaboration of related foreign agencies," six concrete measures were specified, including "enhancement of international assistance in investigation and deliberations on the conclusion of treaties" (for international assistance in investigation and justice, see Part 2, Chapter 6, Section 3).

  It was determined to promote measures for "promotion of measures for organized crimes and Boryokudan groups," "realization of society free from drug abuse and crimes using firearms," "promotion of measures pressed forward in an organized manner against various cases," and "promotion of measures for cybercrimes."
  With regard to "promotion of measures for organized crimes and Boryokudan groups," 10 concrete measures were specified, including "utilization of and deliberations on investigation methods effective for organized crimes," and "early conclusion of the U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and development of related acts" (for the bill on partial amendment to the Penal Code and other acts in response to globalizing and organized crimes and advanced information processing, see Section 3, 4 of this Chapter).
  With regard to "realization of society free from drug abuse and crimes using firearms," 11 concrete measures were specified, including "prevention of drug smuggling at the border," and "thorough investigation of crimes using firearms including shoreline measures."
  With regard to "promotion of measures pressed forward in an organized manner against various cases," eight concrete measures were specified, including "strengthening of measures to protect consumers."
  With regard to "promotion of measures for cybercrimes," six concrete measures were specified, including "early conclusion of the Convention on Cybercrime and development of related criminal law and procedure" (for the bill on the partial amendment to the Penal Code and other acts in response to globalizing and organized crimes and advanced information processing, see Section 3, 4 of this Chapter).

  14 concrete measures were specified, including "increase of local policemen, etc.," "increase of prosecutors, etc., customs officers, maritime safety officials, and antinarcotics agents," "enhancement of systems, facilities, and equipment, etc. concerning immigration controls," "resolution of the overcrowding at correctional institutions including penal institutions and enhancement of correctional treatment," "enhancement of the rehabilitation system," "realization of enhanced and speedy trials" and "development of penal provisions concerning heinous crimes, etc." (for the enhancement of inmate treatment, see Section 4 of this Chapter; for the direction of the rehabilitation system reform, see Section 5 of this Chapter; for the Act for Partial Amendment to the Act for Probationary Supervision of Offenders Given Suspension of Execution of Sentence, see Section 3, 9 of this Chapter; for the enhancement and speeding up of criminal trials, see Chapter 5, Section 1 of this Part; and for the Act for Partial Amendment to the Penal Code, etc. including raising of statutory penalties for heinous crimes and raising of the upper limit of imprisonment with a definite term (Act No. 156 of 2004), see Section 3, 1 of this Chapter).