The Global Spread of 'Random Crimes'... Why Attention is Focused on Japan's Prevention Measures

Collecting Related Statistics Since 1998... Active Research on Characteristic Analysis
Focus on Alternatives That Eliminate Opportunities for Committing Crimes

Recently, the series of random motive crimes, commonly known as 'mutjima crimes,' occurring in South Korea have been spreading not only domestically but also globally. Even in Western countries like the United States, where such crimes were mainly focused on racial discrimination or terrorism by certain fundamentalist sects, there has been a surge in random motive crimes, causing worldwide concern.

Experts previously attributed the spread of these random motive crimes to social structural problems and focused on resolving them. However, with the rapid increase in crimes with unclear motives, they are now raising their voices to emphasize prevention strategies that completely eliminate opportunities for crime.

Mutjima Crimes Occurring Across Various Regions, Motives Unclear

A citizen is praying in remembrance of the 15th anniversary of the Akihabara fatal incident that occurred in 2008. (Photo by ANN News Channel)

According to NHK, on the 24th of last month, a random stabbing incident occurred on the JR Kansai Airport Line train in Osaka, Japan, injuring three people. The suspect, Shimaya Kazuya (37), was found to be carrying three knives.

Similar incidents have occurred not only in Japan but also in the United States in June. According to CBS News, on June 2nd, a random stabbing incident took place in South Bay, USA. The suspect hijacked a vehicle and ran over seven people at random, then got out of the car and stabbed four people with a knife, resulting in four deaths and three injuries.

On June 8th, a stabbing incident occurred in a park in the southern French city of Annecy, seriously injuring six people. Four children playing in the park playground and two adults were severely injured by the suspect’s weapon.

The most notable characteristic of these simultaneous stabbing incidents worldwide is the unclear motive behind the crimes. While in the past, such crimes in the US and Western countries were clearly linked to racial discrimination or certain Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups, the recent surge in random motive crimes has left countries struggling to devise countermeasures.

Particularly, attention is focused on Japan’s case and research, where such random motive crimes began earlier than in other countries. In Japan, these indiscriminate mass murder incidents are called 'Toorimajiken (通り魔事件).' 'Toorima' refers to a Japanese yokai (spirit) that brings disaster to people encountered while passing by homes or places where humans live. The term Toorimajiken was coined because these crimes resemble the yokai’s characteristic of committing violent crimes against random passersby.

Japan has been collecting annual statistics on Toorimajiken incidents since 1998 through the Metropolitan Police Department, accumulating extensive data. Based on this, various studies have been conducted to classify the characteristics of the crimes and perpetrators to some extent. Using these research results, the Japanese government and academia focus on categorizing the timing and characteristics of suspects rather than concentrating on their motives, and emphasize strategies to preemptively block the possibility of crimes.

Frequent Crime Period from May to July... Suspect Characteristics Classified into Three Major Types

Japanese scholars report that Toorimajiken mostly occur from late May to mid-July, primarily during the summer season. The previously mentioned Akihabara mass stabbing incident happened in June, and the 'KyoAni arson incident,' which killed 36 people at an animation company, occurred in July. Stabbings and arson incidents on the Shinkansen high-speed train also took place in June. Although factors such as increased summer discomfort index can be considered, experts say the exact reasons cannot be clearly identified.

However, there is a tendency for Toorimajiken to cluster in specific periods due to imitation of past incidents. The Japan Ministry of Justice Research Institute recently reported, "Toorimajiken that shock society are extensively covered by the media, and detailed methods of the crimes are reported," adding, "People with strong anger are likely to idolize those who have committed indiscriminate mass killings."

There are also calls to respond by categorizing suspects by type. According to a 2014 paper published by Hosei University, analyzing perpetrators’ gender, age, employment status, and criminal records, Toorimajiken perpetrators can be broadly classified into ▲mental illness type ▲robbery type ▲revenge type.

The mental illness type is mostly committed by unemployed, unmarried individuals in their 20s or 50s. They often have a history of mental illness diagnosis, and their crimes are unlikely to be premeditated. They are frequently caught in the act and commit crimes out of anger or resentment.

The revenge type perpetrators are often in their 30s or 40s, married or previously married, and sometimes have accomplices. The weapons prepared are highly lethal, and incidents typically result in four or more casualties, according to Hosei University researchers. These crimes are committed solely for personal revenge without mental illness.

The robbery type perpetrators are often teenagers or people in their 60s, frequently with debts or criminal records. They have no prior acquaintance with victims and usually commit crimes at night for financial gain. Unlike other types, they tend to flee after the crime.

Previously, such crimes were also called 'lone wolf' type crimes, but in Japan, it is argued that this term should be limited to Western contexts. This is because, in the West, many crimes are motivated by racial discrimination or extremist ideologies rather than unclear motives.

Prevention Should Focus on Removing Opportunities Rather Than Motives

Operating mechanism of Defender X. When the camera analyzes a pedestrian and detects stress and tension above a certain level, an alarm sounds. (Photo by Defender X)

To prevent these random motive crimes, there is a growing argument that instead of focusing on the traditional 'crime causation theory' which concentrates on motives, more attention should be paid to the 'crime opportunity theory' that aims to preemptively block the possibility of committing crimes.

Crime opportunity theory does not seek to find the motive behind 'why a person committed such a crime,' but rather focuses on 'why the crime was committed at this location,' aiming to eliminate the opportunity to commit the crime itself. Even if there is a motive, if the cost or risk of committing the crime is high and the return is lower than expected, the crime will not be carried out.

Professor Komiya Nobuo of Rissho University emphasized, "Since people's personalities and circumstances vary, motives for crimes inevitably differ. The treatments or support that eliminate motives are unlikely to fit everyone perfectly. On the other hand, the opportunities to commit crimes decrease as the environment improves."

Crime opportunity theory suggests that making it difficult to access places where crimes might occur can solve the problem. For example, installing transparent partitions at police station counters to prevent attacks, or placing vehicle barriers at entrances to prevent vehicle terrorism.

In addition to physical barricades, crime prevention through security cameras is also used. In Japan, an AI program called 'Defender X' has been introduced, which analyzes pedestrians’ faces in real time to detect tension, aggression, and high stress levels. It identifies suspicious behavior in advance and is reportedly already used in various places such as law offices and general stores.

Moreover, emergency systems based on past Toorimajiken incidents have been implemented. Since there have been stabbing incidents on subways and trains in Japan, train seats have been designed to be removable so they can be used for self-defense, and a system has been established where conductors can respond to crimes with self-defense tools and shields when emergency calls are made.

Professor Komiya argues that instead of narratives about unfortunate environments, realistic design and technology adoption should take the lead. In his column, he pointed out, "In Japan, when related crimes occur, people often bring up the phrase 'darkness of the heart,' which clouds the argument. However, merely talking about things that seem understandable will not solve the problem. It is time to focus on realistic and effective technologies that remove crime opportunities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.