The rapid rise in theft by elderly people has caught the police and Justice Ministry off guard. A Justice Ministry report revealed that over 30,000 people over 65 were convicted of theft in 2007, with crimes by the elderly in 2008 rising to the highest level ever.
Most were convicted of shoplifting. Already surmising the problem two years ago, the government budgeted ¥8.3 billion for new prison facilities for the elderly.
Even more surprising is that most of those nabbed for shoplifting said they were motivated more by loneliness than by need. Nearly one-quarter of the elderly charged with shoplifting told police that feelings of isolation, not economic necessity, were the main reason they stole from stores. Others cited a lack of motivation in life and general frustration. Forty percent of those convicted said they lived alone and 50 percent said they had no friends. Unsurprisingly, arrests of the elderly spiked during the last two New Year holiday seasons.