A longitudinal analysis of Japanese crime, 1926 to 1988: Penal code offenses, juvenile arrests, and relationships to unemployment

By exploring relationships between Japanese penal code offenses and population growth over the last six decades, it is possible to gain further insight into Japan's low crime figures. First, the findings support previous research that identified low levels of crime in Japan. Total penal code offenses, homicide, and arson were greater during the pre-war years, and rape, robbery, and all felonies, as a composite, were higher in the post-war era. Second, juvenile homicide and arson were the only crimes with higher arrest rates in 1936 than in 1987. Because total juvenile arrests increased faster than felony arrests, important issues are raised regarding the role of the Japanese police in shaping juvenile crime statistics. Third, relationships between Japanese unemployment rates and crime cycles are explored. The results indicate the highest pre-war correlations between crime and unemployment were positive, and the strongest post-war relationships were negative.