Japan's criminal offenses reached 774,142 cases in the last year, marking a 4.9% increase from the previous year and exceeding pre-corona figures from 2019. The rise is particularly noticeable in fraud and sexual offenses, with theft comprising nearly 70% of total cases, indicating a 2.5% year-on-year increase, while intelligent crimes surged by 25%. Factors contributing to the sharp rise in fraud include a troubling escalation in special fraud and investment romance scams, leading to an overall 31.1% increase in fraud-related financial damages, totaling approximately 402.9 billion yen.

Additionally, there was a strict increase in 'obscene crime' categories, including an 18.1% rise in sexual act photography offenses and a 2.9% uptick in non-consensual obscenity cases. While serious violent crimes like murder and robbery also witnessed a 3.6% rise, the National Police Agency suggests that the growing number of reported sexual crimes is attributable to the improved legal framework and the more accessible reporting environment. This change comes after years of declining crime rates, which accelerated during the pandemic but reversed following its resolution, as evidenced by surpassing incident levels from 2019.

Overall, while total crime rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, significant changes between crime types have emerged. Compared to 2019, theft remains 3.5% lower, while fraud and other intelligence crime rates ballooned to levels 2.1 times and 2.3 times higher respectively, highlighting a difficult security situation. The National Police Agency, while acknowledging the uptick, is committed to closely monitoring the evolving crime landscape, reflecting mixed public sentiment toward safety, with increased responses indicating a perception of declining security over the past decade.