Developing the first Japanese independent crime victimization survey

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Japan has enjoyed the reputation for being one of the most crime-free economically advanced countries. However, since the late 1990s, with a constantly increasing recorded crime rate and falling clearance rate in police statistics, it appears that the Japanese public has lost confidence in its safety and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. A 2004 survey of public attitudes showed that the proportion of the public who thought crime was getting worse was 40% compared to only 19% in 1998. The discourse of deteriorating safety in Japan has always been supported by official police crime statistics. However, it is important to ask whether these statistics are an accurate picture of the crime situation in contemporary Japan? In other words, what do police crime statistics actually measure?This research project consists of two parts. The first part examines the validity and reliability of the police statistics and other statistics measuring crimes such as vital statistics and victimization surveys in Japan, as well as in other developed countries. The result of the first part is compiled and published as a book entitled "Introduction to crime statistics" in 2006.The second part of the project is to develop the first Japanese independent victimization survey, including a questionnaire and sampling design and methodology. A survey questionnaire was drafted and piloted in 2006, with a random national sample of 2,000. The total response rate was 60.4%. The sample was divided into two groups and each group adopted different methods of data collection. In one group, we conducted face-to-face interview, in another group we used leave-and-pick-up questionnaires. The response rate of face-to-face interview was 53.1% and 67.7% for the leave-and pick-up questionnaires. Over all, we found that, in comparing the results of the 2006 survey with the ICVS in 2000 and in 2004, victimization rates in Japan have been stable between 2000 and 2006.