As in other advanced countries, statistics show that most crimes in Japan are committed by males, especially violent offenses.
But explanations for this can be as varied as the crimes, and range from the sociological, environmental and childhood imprinting, to physiological, biological and genetic differences between the sexes. The factors at play that may create a violent criminal could in other circumstances form a personality whose aggression is instead channeled into, say, professional sports.
Studies into causes of criminal activity, including research on physical and environmental factors, were virtually nonexistent in Japan up until a few years ago, when a rise in heinous crimes committed by minors spurred a hard look.