Interpreting crime data in Japan's immigration debate

Written by Peter Chai

If Japan is to navigate rising immigration without fuelling social division, public debate must move beyond simplified crime narratives. When officials discuss crimes by “foreigners” in isolation without historical context or comparisons with overall crime trends and across subgroups, they risk creating an unbalanced narrative and fuelling concerns about xenophobia.

East Asia, Faultlines9DLFebruary 25, 20269DASHLINE, Peter Chai, Interpreting crime data in Japan’s immigration debate, Japan, immigration, Japanese immigration, Japanese foreign nationals, Japan foreign labour, Crime statistics, Japan crime, Sanae Takaichi, Kimi Onoda, xenophobia, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)