- Country
- Japan
- Ministry responsible
- Ministry of Justice
- Prison administration
- Correction Bureau
- Contact address
-
1-1-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 100 - 8977
Japan - Telephone
- Head of prison administration
-
Shinji Ogawa , Director General
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
40,544
at 31.12.2024 (Ministry of Justice)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
33
based on an estimated national population of 123.59 million at end of December 2024 (from Japanese government statistics bureau figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
15.2%
(31.12.2024)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
9.1%
(31.12.2024)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
0.0%
(31.12.2023 - under 18; not including those in juvenile training schools)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
6.9%
(31.12.2023)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
184
(2018 - comprising 62 adult prisons, 8 branch prisons, 6 juvenile prisons, 8 detention houses and 100 branch detention houses. The prison administration has responsibility also for juvenile classification homes and juvenile training schools, whose occupants are not included in the prison population.)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
85,029
(31.12.2023)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
47.3%
(31.12.2023)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 61,242 | 48 | |
| 69,502 | 55 | |
| 76,413 | 60 | |
| 81,255 | 64 | |
| 76,881 | 60 | |
| 72,975 | 57 | |
| 67,008 | 53 | |
| 60,486 | 48 | |
| 55,967 | 44 | |
| 50,578 | 40 | |
| 46,524 | 37 | |
| 41,541 | 33 |
Prison population total
Prison population rate
- Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
- Female prison population: trend
- Prison population trend up to 2000
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
JAPAN
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 11,062 10,654 7,973 6,462 6,054 | 18.1% 13.5% 10.9% 11.0% 13.0% | 9 8 6 5 5 |
| 2024 | 6,169 | 15.2% | 5 |
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
JAPAN
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 3,302 4,839 5,343 4,875 4,017 | 5.4% 6.1% 7.3% 8.3% 8.5% | 2.6 3.8 4.2 3.8 3.2 |
| 2024 | 3,671 | 9.1% | 3.0 |
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).
Prison population trend up to 2000
The figures below give an indication of the prison population trend in the years up to 2000. They supplement the more recent figures that are shown at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs below.
JAPAN
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 | 43,116 46,430 56,956 43,024 42,262 95,353 82,587 72,103 63,233 47,754 45,994 50,706 55,974 46,858 47,398 61,242 | 72 72 82 60 58 113 92 76 64 45 41 43 46 38 38 48 |
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