Crime prevention in a low-crime nation: an enquiry into Japanese bōhan initiatives

Despite high public safety levels, crime prevention (bōhan) is a common concern in Japanese society. In the early-2000s, the Japanese government set out to “create a crime-resistant society”, giving rise to a flurry of crime prevention initiatives involving not only state institutions but also citizen volunteers and private companies. Between 2003 and 2008, the number of bōhan volunteers grew by over 1200% to 2.5 million citizens. In Japanese cities, neighbourhood patrols as well as bōhan posters and signs present frequent reminders of significant societal attention to crime and crime prevention. This paper asks why crime prevention gained so much traction in a relatively safe country. It sets out by identifying the responsibilisation of non-state actors and the incorporation of bōhan measures into the urban environment as core themes of contemporary Japanese crime prevention efforts. Based on an analysis of government and police documents as well as Japanese scholarship, it then discusses two factors that facilitated the spread of crime prevention initiatives in Japan in the mid-2000-2010s: current crime prevention campaigns as a continuation of national currents and governance strategies, and the versatility and adaptability of crime prevention ideas and initiatives. As an in-depth account of bōhan initiatives in contemporary Japan and their roots, this paper provides insights into the governance of deviance and the integration of crime deterrence and surveillance into everyday life in Japanese cities.