6 Formulation of action programs

In response to the worsening crime situation the Ministerial Meeting on Countermeasures against Crimes was established in September 2003 and the “Action Program to Create a Crime-Resistant Society — Aiming for the Restoration of Japan as the World's Safest Country —” was then formulated in December the same year. The results of five years of efforts made within this action program were then taken into consideration in the formulation of the “Action Program to Create a Crime-Resistant Society 2008” in December 2008. The new action program pinpoints seven top prior issues with the aim of restoring genuine public safety within the next five years via the promotion of concrete measures. The abovementioned seven prior issues concern: “the creation of a society resistant to offenses that take place close to hand,” “the creation of a society that does not produce offenders,” “a response to internationalization,” “a response to antisocial forces such as crime organizations, etc.,” “the creation of a more secure cyberspace,” “a response to the threat of terrorism, etc.,” and “the development of an infrastructure that restores public safety.” The government and the private sector have both been making efforts hand in hand to realize the action program.