The crimes chosen as subjects for this study are robbery, bodily injury, assault, intimidation, extortion, rape, indecent assault, breaking and entering, and destruction of objects. The number of reported cases of penal code offenses exceeded 3,580,000 cases. As for the number of penal code offenses excluding professional negligence in traffic accidents, the reported cases exceeded 2,730,000. The clearance rate was less than 20 percent for the first time. The low clearance rates of larceny and destruction of objects seem to bring down the overall clearance rate. Since non-reported cases of robbery are thought to be few, the decrease in the clearance rate of robbery especially creates a concern over public safety. Public concerns about security are increasing. Japan’s number of reported cases of major offenses and crime rates are both the lowest when compared with other major western countries based on available data up to the year 2000. This country is still considered to be one of the safest countries. Several factors are responsible for the current trends, such as the change in the social environment and the influence of economic and international situations. Crimes have become less regional with the occurrence of crime spreading over the country. There are more ordinary people committing crimes, as well as people with previous convictions or criminal history. The following aspects may contribute to this phenomena: an education system that is not functioning well, deteriorating social ethics, and a lack of a traditional sense of solidarity in the local community. It is important to establish a system where the public and private sectors cooperate to make the prevention of crime more effective. 4 appendices