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Crime in Japan pp 1–22Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Introduction

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Abstract

Within comparative criminology, Japan and its relationship to the West can be described as dynamic: the two regions have influenced each other, despite being considered polar opposites. This introductory chapter discusses these influences and the ideas that were persuasive in explaining—even not explaining—Japan’s low crime rate. In addition, differences between psychological and sociological perspectives are introduced, as well as how the two are linked.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In this book, the use of the terms ‘Western’ and ‘the West ’ refer to Europe and North America , as the volume of criminological knowledge derives from them.

  2. 2.

    Major offences were assault, robbery, and theft , whose rates were obtained in 2014, as well as homicide , whose rate was obtained in 2013.

  3. 3.

    Emile Durkheim (1951) theorised that anomie occurs when there is a breakdown in social organisation and social control is no longer effective in restraining individuals from deviant behaviour.

  4. 4.

    This is in reference to Edward Said’s (1979) work entitled, Orientalism. In his book, he argues that the West —primarily the US , France , and the UK —views the Middle East and Asia with prejudice and racism, and the purpose of their representations of ‘the Orient’ is to impose their vision of reality on to these regions as a method of domination and control.

  5. 5.

    The majority of sources have stated that the JACP was established in 1963 (see Konishi 2013; Imada and Tanaka-Matsumi 2016; Misumi 1989).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Laura Bui

  2. Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    David P. Farrington

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Bui, L., P. Farrington, D. (2019). Introduction. In: Crime in Japan. Palgrave Advances in Criminology and Criminal Justice in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14097-7_1

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