The number of elderly people committing crimes has skyrocketed in Japan. A recent white paper on crime finds that those aged 65 or over who became the subject of a criminal investigation hit 48,637 in 2011, accounting for some 16 percent of all those investigated — the highest percentage since 1986 when the relevant statistics were first taken. That absolute number is more than six times as many as 20 years ago.

These figures paint a different picture of the elderly than the one of the stereotypical, smiling grandparent that most people have. The reasons for the increase in elderly crime should be understood and action should be taken to stem this rising problem.

The main reason for the increase is not simply that Japan's population is aging. The number of Japanese aged 65 or over stood at 30 million as of Oct. 1, 2011, or around 23 percent of the 128 million total population.