Crime and Justice in Contemporary Japan (Springer Series on Asian Criminology and Criminal Justice Research)

This book provides an important overview of key criminology and criminal justice concerns in Japan. It highlights similarities between the practice of criminology research in Japan, as well as important differences, with other areas of Asia and with the West. In previous decades, Japan attracted international attention as the only industrialized country where the crime rate declined along with a rise in urbanization and economic development. Currently, Japan still enjoys a declining crime rate (the lowest among major industrialized countries) and a study of criminal justice practices in Japan may provide important insights for other regions. Japan also experiences important contemporary challenges which are shared by other regions: 1. Japan has the highest proportion of people over the age of 60 in the world. For criminology, this means key challenges in the victimization of older people, as well as the challenges of an aging prison population. 2. Besides the United States, Japan is the only developed country that still practices capital punishment, and its rate has been on the rise in the past 20 years. 3. Japan has also introduced new reforms in its law practice, including the introduction of new trial formats. The research in this book provides a helpful overview for scholars interested in criminology and criminal justice in Japan to understand the key issues of concern, and present a framework for future research needs. It will be of interest to researchers in criminology and criminal justice, international studies, Asian Studies, sociology, and political science.-- Provided by publisher With many of its countries undertaking development and modernization--and others taking major roles on the global stage--Asia is a region in flux. And as with any area in transition, there are myriad opportunities for crime to flourish. But at the same time that illegal activities are on the rise, so is the emergence of robust crime research in the region. The Handbook of Asian Criminology analyzes illicit enterprises and criminal justice efforts across a vast and varied continent. Contributions represent countries familiar in the West (Japan, Taiwan) and less known (Cambodia, Malaysia), and crimes examined range from the typical (homicide, drug trafficking) to the timely (human trafficking, insurance fraud, intellectual property crime). Expert studies of victims, of criminals as cultural icons, of the rise of the restorative justice movement, and of criminology itself demonstrate why Asia is viewed as a vanguard by colleagues elsewhere in the world. Among the topics covered: Cybercrime in Asia: trends and challenges. Curbing corruption and enhancing trust in government: lessons from Singapore and Hong Kong. Development of criminology in Japan: a sociological perspective. Contemporary crime and punishment in Thailand. Victims of domestic violence in India: do they have rights? Evolution of restorative justice for juvenile offenders in the People's Republic of China. The Handbook of Asian Criminology is a groundbreaking volume for researchers in criminology and criminal justice, particularly with an interest in the fields in Asia, as well as those in related disciplines such as sociology and international studies Annotation This book provides an important overview of key criminology and criminal justice concerns in Japan. It highlights similarities between the practice of criminology research in Japan, as well as important differences, with other areas of Asia and with the West. In previous decades, Japan attracted international attention as the only industrialized country where the crime rate declined along with a rise in urbanization and economic development. Currently, Japan still enjoys a declining crime rate (the lowest among major industrialized countries) and a study of criminal justice practices in Japan may provide important insights for other regions. Japan also experiences important contemporary challenges which are shared by other regions:1. Japan has the highest proportion of people over the age of 60 in the world. For criminology, this means key challenges in the victimization of older people, as well as the challenges of an aging prison population. 2. Besides the United States, Japan is the only developed country that still practices capital punishment, and its rate has been on the rise in the past 20 years. 3. Japan has also introduced new reforms in its law practice, including the introduction of new trial formats. The research in this book provides a helpful overview for scholars interested in criminology and criminal justice in Japan to understand the key issues of concern, and present a framework for future research needs. It will be of interest to researchers in criminology and criminal justice, international studies, Asian Studies, sociology, and political science Annotation This important edited collection of articles by both Chinese and American scholars attempts to promote a more accurate and in-depth understanding of crime and social control in China, as it undergoes significant cultural, economic, and social change. The editors contend that as the economic system has been transformed, many other social institutions in China have also experienced unprecedented changes, including legal institutions and other organizations responsible for social control. The essays focus on crime in China and summarize the major structural changes in Chinese society and their effects on crime and justice over the last ten to fifteen years, offer an overview of Chinese perspectives on crime, examine socio-economic changes and their impact on social control, and discuss changes in adults' and children's courts and the new changes in Chinese policing in Chinese society. Organized into four parts, this work addresses the nature, extent and special features of crime and delinquency in China under conditions of social change. It also investigates the question of the social correlation of changing patterns of crime. The impact of social transition on the changes in the grassroots level of social control is also discussed. Chinese law and criminal justice, with particular focus on the courts, police, and crime prevention are mentioned as well. This unique collection of essays is a timely and significant contribution to the fields of comparative criminology, social control, Chinese studies, and legal studies Mai Sato examines public attitudes to the death penalty in Japan, focusing on knowledge and attitudinal factors relating to support for, and opposition to, the death penalty. She uses a mixed-method approach and mounts quantitative and qualitative surveys to assess Japanese death penalty attitudes. The author's main findings show that death penalty attitudes are not fixed but fluid. Information has a significant impact on reducing support for the death penalty while retributive attitudes are associated with support. This book offers a new conceptual framework in understanding the death penalty without relying on the usual human rights approach, which can be widely applied not just to Japan but to other retentionist countries. Contents · Public Attitudes towards the Death Penalty · Critical Examination of the Japanese Government Survey · Experimental Survey Examining the Impact of Information on Support for the Death Penalty Target Groups · Researchers and students in the fields of sociology, law, political sciences, criminology, socio-legal studies, Japan studies and Asian studies · NGOs, policymakers, civil society The Author Mai Sato completed her PhD at King's College London in 2011. She is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, Birkbeck, University of London, and a Research Officer at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford This book examines public attitudes to the death penalty in Japan, focusing on knowledge and trust-based attitudinal factors relating to support for, and opposition to, the death penalty. A mixed-method approach was used. Quantitative and qualitative surveys were mounted to assess Japanese death penalty attitudes. The main findings show that death penalty attitudes are not fixed but fluid. Information has a significant impact on reducing support for the death penalty while retributive attitudes are associated with support. This book offers a new conceptual framework in understanding the death penalty without replying on the usual human rights approach, which can be widely applied not just to Japan but to other retentionist countries. Economic reform in China, especially the dramatic transition to a market economy in the 1990's, brought about profound social change and unprecedented economic growth in the last two decades. Explores a wide range of issues pertaining to crime and social control in the changing context of contemporary Chinese society. Edited By Jianhong Liu, Lening Zhang, And Steven F. Messner. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.