Japan is safe…unless you’re a woman. Women’s rights advocates in Japan have long argued that police and prosecutors have failed to enforce cases of sexual assault and stalking.
New numbers seem to bear that contention out. A report from the country’s National Police Agency (NPA) reveals a record-setting number of stalking arrests and restraining orders in the wake of a high-profile stalking and murder incident.
3,717 stalking arrests in one year set a new record
The NPA reports that Japan opened up 3,717 stalking cases in 2025. The cases resulted in 3,037 restraining orders being issued. Those are both records since 2000, when the country passed its anti-stalking law.
Police also report consulting with people on a total of 22,881 potential stalking incidents. That’s the second-highest level since 2000.
Of the cases pursued by police, 1,546 resulted in police taking action against the stalker to end their illegal behavior. That’s up by 205 cases compared to 2024. 1,577 cases resulted in warnings. A full 2,171 cases resulted in police bringing charges under another law. Two cases, tragically, ended in murder.
Taking stalking seriously in Japan
The spike comes in the wake of a high-profile stalking-murder incident that led the public to pile on police for not taking the crime seriously.
27-year-old Shirai Hideyuki murdered his ex-girlfriend, 20-year-old Okazaki Asahi, in December 2024. Kanagawa Prefectural police failed to search Shirai’s property in Kawasaki for four months, even though Okazaki had consulted police nine times about Shirai stalking her.
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The case came on the heels of another case in March 2025 in which a man murdered his ex, a snack bar owner, in Nishitokyo. The assailant, her ex-husband, had spent time in jail for assaulting her.
Women’s rights activists have long contended that Japanese police don’t take women’s reports seriously. One organization estimated, for example, that as many as 80% of molestation cases may go unreported. Many women told the organization that they had tried to file reports, only to face skeptical officers who dismissed their allegations.
In response, authorities in Japan have taken steps over the past several years to crack down on stalking, sexual assault, groping, and other crimes against women. These include increasing anti-groping patrols during exam season and giving students time off from class to report assaults.
The 2025 stalking numbers might be a sign that stalking cases are on the rise. It’s more likely a sign, though, that police in Japan are starting to take women seriously.
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Sources
ストーカー摘発、過去最多3717件 川崎の事件で対応強化. Mainichi Shimbun
