Japan as a Low-Crime Nation
By Dag Leonardsen
New York, NY.: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd., 2004
Japan as a Low-Crime Nation provides a compelling insight into understanding differences between the United States and Japanese criminal justice systems. This book makes for a timely addition with the current renewed research emphasis on the arena of international criminal justice. This text is ideal for those with little knowledge in the area of comparative criminal justice systems, who are particularly interested in the Japanese versus United States comparisons.
The text begins with a discussion of unique characteristics of Japanese society and problems that are present when one attempts to compare Eastern and Western cultures. The author provides a brief description on how the concept of crime and deviance vary in markedly different ways between the U.S. and Japan. To highlight these differences and to demonstrate why straight comparisons of crime data are particularly problematic the author utilizes an example:
Japan Times (16.11.00) refers to a mother who killed one of her daughters and tried to kill the other one as well. She had also been convicted of killing another daughter in 1995. This earlier killing was part of an unsuccessful bid at what is called muri shinju (killing a loved one and then committing suicide), so the woman was given a suspended sentence. The mother tried to kill herself, but failed. So in this case this 'murder' was defined as muri shinju which is something different (p.27).
This is a poignant example of why cross-cultural comparisons of crime data become so problematic. Even with the most serious of crimes, in this example homicide, the manner in which the competing criminal justice systems recognize the criminal versus deviant aspect of the act are remarkably different. Leonardsen makes the case that this hurdle is present at every step in any comparison across the two countries. He further goes on to present a beginner's introduction into understanding Japanese culture from a Western perspective.
Summarizing earlier work and by applying his understanding, much of the difference between the criminal justice systems is presented as a by-product of the unique Eastern culture. Referring to Confucian principles, the author presents the argument that philosophy and religion have created a societal emphasis on social solidarity as the underpinning for their economy. With the development of Japan as nation with a growing emphasis on capitalism, this social solidarity has continued and its' impacts have spread to all aspects of the culture including the role of the Japanese criminal justice system.
Ultimately, the author ends the text with the key discussion. If Japan is an example of a low-crime nation, even when controlling for societal/cultural differences, is there a lesson to be learned which the West can apply? Leonardsen seems to believe that the lesson can be learned, but only with serious societal change in the West. He discusses the role of individual welfare and how a renewed emphasis on societal prerequisites for this welfare will be necessary for Western cultures to begin the move toward a low-crime nation. The author poses an interesting discussion on advancing Western culture, which is beyond the scope of this book review to address.
If there is to be any complaint made about this text, it's a minor one. Early on, as the author presents his case for understanding some of the key differences between Japanese and U.S. cultures he chooses not to include a discussion on the topic of white-collar crime in Japan. While he does state, "…I conclude that there is little reason to expect less white-collar crime in Japan than in most Western countries"(p. 37), the lack of further discussion on this topic is disappointing. While recognizably this is difficult issue to tackle especially in terms of the understanding the nature of monetary gifts, land sharking and the role of the keizai yakuza (economic gangsters) it is certainly a topic worthy of additional discussion.
With that being said, this book will make a welcome addition to an individual's library of international criminal justice texts. No assumption is made that the reader has previous knowledge in the area of comparative criminal justice systems; therefore, this text would be ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate classes.
BRIAN A. LAWTON
Sam Houston State University |
