What is the crime rate in Japan compared to the USA? I want to
know statistics for assault, rape, murder, robbery.

Statistics for criminal activity in 2000 can be found for the United States at 
U.S. Department of Justice website as well as the Sourcebook of Criminal 
Justice. As for Japan, it is compiled by the National Police Agency and 
released via the Statistics Bureau.

For United States:

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2000, page 188
Estimated rate (per 1,000 persons age 12 and other) of personal victimization

All crimes of violence 56.1
Rape/Sexual Assault 2.2
Robbery 6.5
Assault 47.3
http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/1995/pdf/t33.pdf

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2000, page 291
Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
5.7
http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/1995/pdf/t3125.pdf

For Japan:

Japan Statistical Yearbook 1999, Chapter 23: Justice and Police
Rape 1,857
Robbery 4,237
Violence 7,792
Murder 1,265
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/zuhyou/b2301000.xls

"The crime rate, although rising gradually, is also relatively low. The per 
capita murder rate in the United States is about six times that of Japan's." 
"Moderate Japan Recovery Expected" by YURI KAGEYAMA
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/020421/japan_golden_recession_1.html

For a more comparative study, here are results as compiled by the Taiwan 
government which covers several countries. (data was taken from various 
statistical sources for 1998)

Murders per 100,000.
1. Russia Federation 18.07
2. United States 6.32
3. Malaysia 2.73
Taiwan  1.17
Spain 1.08
Japan 0.58 

Rape per 100,000.
1. United States 34.20 
2. England and Wales 14.69 
3. France 13.38 
Taiwan 8.82 
South Korea 4.38 
Spain 3.23 
Japan 1.48

Serious Assault per 100,000.
1. Australia 713.68 
2. England & Wales 405.20 
3. United States 357.94 
Taiwan 37.30 
Spain 23.94 
Japan 15.40

Robbery/Violent Theft per 100,000.
1. Spain 169.85 
2. United States 169.02 
3. France 144.10 
Taiwan 14.35 
South Korea 11.74 
Japan 2.71

From The Analysis and Comparison on Statistics of Criminal Cases in Various 
Countries
http://www.moi.gov.tw/W3/stat/english/etopic/89criminal.htm


Additional information:

U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/tables/viortrdtab.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/hmrt.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/rape.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/rob.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/aslt.htm

Sourcebook of Crimnal Justice
http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/

Statistical Handbook of Japan 2001: Crime
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c14cont.htm#cha14_3

Japan Statistical Yearbook, Chapter 23: Justice and Police
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/1431-23.htm

Interesting Article (Opinion) on Japan's Low Crime Rate
http://www.totse.com/en/politics/the_world_beyond_the_usa/japsafe.html


Search terms used:

japan crime rate
://www.google.com/search?q=japan+crime+rate

japan "crime rate" 2000 statistic
://www.google.com/search?q=japan+%22crime+rate%22+2000+statistic

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Request for Answer Clarification by answerbear-ga on 23 Apr 2002 18:12 PDT

For the Japanese statistics, were those the totals for the entire country? Or a 
rae 
per 100,000 persons? If they were totals for the country, then what is
the population from which those statistics were drawn(i.e., how to compare
those numbers with the rate per 1,000 persons given for the US?)

---

Clarification of Answer by researcher-ga on 23 Apr 2002 20:13 PDT

I hope this helps to clarify, please continue to use this feature if more 
clarification is required.

The Japanese statistics reflect the total number for all of Japan as reported 
through the National Police Agency and others like it. For full details of the 
source of those numbers, please read their explanation at:
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/1431-23e.htm

According to the 1999 Census of Japan, the population in 1999 was 126,686,000.
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/stat/stats/01CEN21.html

For additional years of data, please view the Census of Japan's data for 
Criminal Offenses at:
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/stat/category_14.html#Criminal_Offenses

As a sociologist I find the concept of Google Answers far more fascinating than 
its content. I am reminded of game theory. The researchers seem to be behaving 
as though they are in competition with each other for prizes, and the prize, as 
usual in academic settings no less than in business, seems to be recognition.

Why do I say recognition, and not money? The labor involved in answering many 
of the questions is far in excess of the typical pay for the caliber of work 
presented. And this specific Q&A is a good example. The questioner is getting 
far more than his four buck's worth. One need only throw some detailed 
narrative from the presented web links at the answer, and voila, a term paper.

So let's take a brief look at the game as it is now played. Questioners come 
out ahead - for the most part, they get more than they pay for. Google comes 
out ahead -  they get publicity and the recognition that comes from developing 
yet another new paradigm. 

Researchers are a mixed bag. Some will come out ahead, but paying a heavy 
price. Others, of equal merit, will walk away because they are not happy with 
the remuneration -to- work ratio, whether dollars per hour or back-pats per 
paragraph.

Commenters as a class (including commenter researchers) might fare a bit better 
than researchers, since their work load will be substantially less, with a 
higher ratio. Note too, that commenters will most often also be researchers, 
possibly researchers who will not have the sustaining power to compete, yet who 
are drawn to respond. We researchers often see unanswered questions as mural 
painter Gulley Jimson saw a blank wall, to be filled. 

Among the questions I leave unanswered: Why are the researchers not in 
competition with Google rather than each other? (Should we unionize?) And what 
will be the situation when homeostasis is reached?

Hi Johnfrench,
interesting remark, indeed the incentive for someone to provide
quality answers isn't the cash but rather the credit in terms of
ratings and statistics.

Quite often good answers come not only from the researcher but also
from commenters, but as far as I can see there's currently no
possibility for the thread starter to rate a comment, unfortunately.
Why should the ability to get rated be a privilege of the researcher?

The situation when homeostasis is reached? My guess is what you seem
to expect as well: the value of answers provided by researchers will
dwindle and converge to the offered price. Many valuable answers will
come from commenters and as long as the user is satisfied by that
answer (from either the researcher or a commenter) he will be happy
and not request a refund. So, the job the researcher gets paied for
isn't to do lots of research for little money, but rather to "start
the discussion" about the topic and to be formally in charge of the
thread. Again, I think the user should be able to rate comments as
well.