Japan to Implement GPS Monitoring and Mandatory Therapy to Combat Record Surge in Stalking

Japan is currently grappling with an unprecedented surge in stalking crimes, with official data revealing a crisis in public safety. In 2025, the number of consultations regarding stalking harassment surpassed the 20,000 mark, reaching a historic peak. The alarming trend has highlighted a critical flaw in the current legal framework: the inability of law enforcement to provide constant, physical protection to victims before a perpetrator decides to escalate their behavior.

The human cost of this systemic failure has been devastating, as stalking cases frequently evolve into brutal homicides. A poignant example occurred this March in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, where a 21-year-old female shop assistant was murdered inside a department store. The suspect, a 26-year-old man, had a documented history of stalking and had been the subject of multiple police investigations and restraining orders. Despite these legal warnings, his obsession and desire for control only intensified, eventually leading to a fatal confrontation.

This tragedy is not an isolated incident but part of a recurring pattern of violence. In January 2023, a 31-year-old man murdered his 38-year-old former girlfriend in the streets of Fukuoka, completely disregarding prior police warnings. Similarly, in May 2024, a 25-year-old woman was stabbed to death in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward, resulting in the arrest of a 51-year-old man. These cases underscore a grim reality: existing restraining orders are often treated as mere suggestions by perpetrators driven by pathological fixations.

In response to these failures, the Japanese police are proposing a paradigm shift in how stalking is managed. During a recent expert committee meeting, officials acknowledged that it is practically impossible for police to provide 24/7 bedside protection for every victim. Consequently, the authorities are exploring the introduction of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to monitor offenders. Drawing inspiration from policies implemented in South Korea and Spain, the new proposal suggests forcing perpetrators to wear GPS-enabled devices on their wrists or ankles. This would allow law enforcement to track the movements of high-risk individuals in real-time and intervene before a crime is committed.

However, the implementation of such surveillance is not without controversy. Yoshitaka Yamada, Director of the Life Safety Bureau of the National Police Agency, emphasized that the government must balance the urgent need for safety with the privacy rights of individuals. He stated that the agency intends to engage in extensive consultations with legal scholars, criminal psychologists, and the families of victims to ensure the new measures are both effective and legally sound.

Beyond physical surveillance, the committee is strongly advocating for mandatory psychiatric intervention. Masaru Horigoe, an expert in criminal psychology, argues that legal warnings alone are insufficient because stalkers often operate under a delusional perception of their relationship with the victim. According to Horigoe, perpetrators frequently mistake harassment for 'love' or believe the relationship is more intimate than it actually is. He suggests that psychological counseling should be a mandatory legal requirement once a police warning is issued. By forcing offenders to confront their behavior through professional therapy, the state can help them recognize their actions as predatory rather than romantic, thereby cutting off the path toward escalation and violence.