Growing problem awareness
Current forms of internet crimes in Japan cover a wide range of offenses. In 2019, a surge in online banking frauds was detected, with the amount of money lost due to online banking frauds climbing to over 2.5 billion Japanese yen. In 2020, cyberbullying became a major issue due to the suicide of Hana Kimura, a female professional wrestler who had also appeared on a reality television series. Since that year, the police also recorded numerous cases of suspected cyber-crimes related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Other offenses include issues such as unauthorized computer access, illegal business practices, as well as illegal or harmful content, which encompasses many cases of child prostitution and child pornography.Cyber-security, in general, has become a prevalent issue in Japan, partly because of the economy’s dependence on the internet, electronic devices, and automation technology, and partly because of Japan’s geopolitical position and uneasy relations with its neighboring countries. Because Japanese bureaucrats and politicians were comparatively slow in responding to these issues, the country has been in a state of catching up in recent years with regard to its cyber-security strategy. The government’s vision of an increasingly interconnected society, called “Society 5.0”, as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, provided the impetus to strengthen the infrastructure against external and internal threats. Among other measures, the government revised the Telecommunications Business Act in 2018, enabling the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NICT) to actively survey Internet of Things (IoT) devices in its attempts to prevent DDoS attacks. In 2022, a new bureau and special investigative team dedicated to cyber-crimes were established at the National Police Agency.
