- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,914
On Thursday, the NPA reported that police recorded 774,142 criminal offences nationwide in 2025, an increase of 36,463 from the previous year. The figure represents the fourth consecutive annual rise and exceeds the level seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The largest share of cases involved theft, which totalled 513,931 incidents, or roughly two-thirds of all reported crimes. Bicycle thefts accounted for the largest share of that group, at around 170,000 cases.
Fraud reached 72,532 reports, more than double the number logged in 2019. The agency links the broader rise in crime in part to so-called specialised fraud schemes, a term that includes romance and investment scams. Police also recorded 9,962 incidents involving voyeuristic image-taking. Reports of non-consensual sexual intercourse stood at 4,177, while non-consensual indecent assault accounted for 7,193 cases. The agency listed 976 murders and 1,428 robberies during the year. According to the same report, 200,663 people were arrested. Among them were 7,333 foreign visitors to Japan (3.65%), excluding permanent residents and individuals affiliated with the U.S. military.
Financial losses tied to special fraud, social-media investment swindles and romance schemes climbed to 324.1 billion yen, or roughly $2.1 billion, in 2025, the highest figure recorded to date. The amount equals about 160% of the previous year's total and around 360% of the level seen three years earlier, reflecting how rapidly the financial scale of such crimes has expanded.
Fraud reached 72,532 reports, more than double the number logged in 2019. The agency links the broader rise in crime in part to so-called specialised fraud schemes, a term that includes romance and investment scams. Police also recorded 9,962 incidents involving voyeuristic image-taking. Reports of non-consensual sexual intercourse stood at 4,177, while non-consensual indecent assault accounted for 7,193 cases. The agency listed 976 murders and 1,428 robberies during the year. According to the same report, 200,663 people were arrested. Among them were 7,333 foreign visitors to Japan (3.65%), excluding permanent residents and individuals affiliated with the U.S. military.
Crime in Japan Ticks Up for 4th Straight Year
<p>The number of reported crimes in 2025 rose 4.9% from the previous year to 774,142, according to crime statistics released by the National Police Agency on Thursday. This marked the fourth straight increase since the figure hit a postwar low in 2021.</p> <p>Last year saw a surge in property...
Financial losses tied to special fraud, social-media investment swindles and romance schemes climbed to 324.1 billion yen, or roughly $2.1 billion, in 2025, the highest figure recorded to date. The amount equals about 160% of the previous year's total and around 360% of the level seen three years earlier, reflecting how rapidly the financial scale of such crimes has expanded.