Crime Aichi records highest car theft rate in Japan

[thomas]

Aichi Prefecture recorded the highest number of car thefts in Japan in 2025, with more than 1,000 cases reported. The tally has climbed in recent years. Toyota Land Cruisers account for about 40% of all stolen vehicles. Police say theft methods are growing more sophisticated and urge owners to use multiple layers of security to reduce the risk.

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"A car can be started in about two minutes. The places where vehicles are most often stolen are detached homes—ordinary houses where cars are parked outside," a police officer said. Auto theft cases in Aichi have been trending upward in recent years, surpassing 1,000 incidents last year to rank worst in the country. Among the most frequently targeted vehicles is the Land Cruiser, which accounts for about 40 percent of theft cases, according to authorities. A Nagoya man whose Land Cruiser was stolen in January said, "I never thought it would happen to me. It was hard to believe it had been stolen. For a week after it happened, I couldn't sleep." The vehicle had been a cherished possession he had admired since his twenties and had been delivered only about two years earlier. To prevent theft, police stress the importance of layering security measures rather than relying on just one.

Aichi Ranks Worst in Japan for Car Theft

Aichi Prefecture recorded the highest number of car thefts nationwide in 2025, with more than 1,000 cases as thefts continue to rise in recent years, and Land Cruisers account for 40 percent of the vehicles targeted, prompting authorities to warn that multiple layers of security are essential to...

newsonjapan.com