The overall number of crimes committed in Japan continued to drop in 2016, falling below the 1 million mark for the first time in the postwar era, according to the annual White Paper on Crime released Friday by the Justice Ministry.
But it wasn't all good news. The number of elderly offenders and the percentage of repeat offenders continued to rise, posing serious concerns, the paper says.
The annual report says the total number of crimes committed in 2016 dropped to 996,120, marking the 14th consecutive year of decline. The figure is roughly one-third the number logged in 2002.