Japanese police received 22,881 stalking consultations in 2025, marking a 16.9% increase from the previous year and surpassing the 20,000 threshold for the first time since 2020. Recorded violations of the Anti-Stalking Act also hit a record high for the fourth consecutive year, climbing 15.3% to 1,546 prosecuted cases, according to data from a National Police Agency survey.
Consultations Climb Past 20,000 as Penalties Increase
The National Police Agency survey details a sharp upward trajectory in reported harassment across the country. The 22,881 consultations registered in 2025 reflect a growing reliance on law enforcement intervention following years of relative stability below the 20,000 mark. Alongside the jump in consultations, authorities prosecuted 1,546 violations of the Anti-Stalking Act. This category has now set a new record for four consecutive years.
Japan’s legislative framework for handling these offenses originates from a 2000 enactment. Lawmakers established the Anti-Stalking Act following a fatal stabbing in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture. Under the statute, victims can request administrative measures. Police respond by issuing formal warnings and prohibition orders against identified perpetrators.
Violating these administrative directives triggers criminal penalties. In other instances, officers arrest offenders under separate provisions of the penal code, including assault, bodily injury, and trespassing. Throughout 2025, police issued 1,577 warnings under the act, representing a 6.6% increase or 98 more cases than the preceding year. Prohibition orders experienced an even steeper climb, rising 25.8% to 3,037 cases—an increase of 622 actions.
Trespassing and Intimidation Lead Penal Code Violations
Beyond specialized stalking legislation, prosecutors relied heavily on the broader penal code to address harassment-related crimes. Cases prosecuted under the penal code or other special laws rose 24.6% to 2,171, breaking the 2,000 mark for the first time.
| Offense Category | 2025 Prosecuted Cases |
|---|---|
| Trespassing | 437 |
| Intimidation | 292 |
| Assault | 159 |
| Bodily Injury | 153 |
| Indecent Assault | 146 |
| Attempted Murder | 14 |
| Murder | 2 |
Trespassing emerged as the most frequent criminal charge, accounting for 437 cases. Intimidation followed with 292 cases, while assault and bodily injury registered 159 and 153 cases, respectively. Indecent assault accounted for 146 cases. The most severe criminal charges included 14 counts of attempted murder and 2 recorded murders.
Demographic Breakdown of Victims and Perpetrators
Data compiled by the National Police Agency outlines clear demographic patterns among those involved in these investigations. Women accounted for 86.9% of the victims handled by police, while men made up 13.1%. The primary age range for victims spanned from their teens to their forties.
On the opposing side, men constituted 80.1% of perpetrators. Women represented 12.3% of offenders, and the gender remained unknown in 7.6% of the recorded files. The primary age range for perpetrators stretched from their twenties to their fifties.
The relationship between victim and perpetrator often stems from personal familiarity. In roughly 40% of the recorded cases, the offender was a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend. Friends or acquaintances formed the next most common connection, followed closely by workplace colleagues.
The total number of recorded stalking consultations in Japan reached 22,881 in 2025, exceeding the 20,000 threshold last seen in 2020.
