The definition of a crime is a critical part of law enforcement. After all, what constitutes a crime such as theft is fundamental to working out whether or not someone is ultimately guilty of committing the offense.
With this in mind, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caused a stir in December when it released a document stating that there was no unified definition of what constituted "anti-social forces," contradicting guidelines that were put out during the premier's first administration in 2007 to protect companies from gangs.
These guidelines define anti-social forces, or hanshakai seiryoku, as "groups or individuals that pursue economic profits through the use of violence, threats and fraud."