'I am curious about the extradition laws and if they are really enforced in Japan," writes reader E.S. "Recently, a friend of a friend was telling everyone that he would be leaving Japan to go back to America. He said he was being extradited back to America because he stole money — according to him, $55,000. It seems like a waste of time to extradite someone for such an amount. So, my question is, do many people get extradited for such crimes?"
Japan has entered into extradition treaties with the United States and South Korea, so the government is legally obliged to transport fugitives wanted for certain crimes committed in those countries back to face justice. However, it is possible for the Japanese government to extradite fugitives to requesting countries that have no such bilateral treaty with Tokyo, under Japan's Law of Extradition.
However, for a request for extradition to succeed, it must meet strict requirements under both the Law of Extradition and, in the case of the U.S. and South Korea, the treaty between the two countries. The most important requirement is that the alleged criminal conduct for which extradition is being sought must be punishable under the laws of both countries. (This is known as the principle of dual criminality.)