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The Homicide Drop in Postwar Japan

University of Hawaii, davidjoh{at}hawaii.edu

Japan's homicide rate dropped 70% in the last 50 years, and the nation now has one of the lowest homicide rates in the world. A decline of this magnitude has been documented in few other contemporary social settings. One key feature of the fall is young Japanese males, who now commit one tenth as many homicides as their counterparts did in 1955. At present, Japan's homicide rate is higher among men in their 50s than among males aged 20 to 24. This article describes Japan's postwar homicide decline and the vanishing young killer in particular. More is known about who is responsible for the decline than about what has caused it. The search for a more satisfying explanation of Japan's homicide drop should be a high priority in homicide studies.

Key Words: homicide • age • Japan • comparative criminology

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