Victim support groups are calling for the introduction of rehabilitation programs for stalkers one year after a woman was murdered in Kawasaki [1].

The push for these programs follows a high-profile failure by law enforcement to protect a victim despite repeated warnings, highlighting systemic gaps in how Japan handles stalking cases.

Ayasaki Okazaki, 20 [1], was killed in 2025 [3] by her former partner, 28-year-old Shusei Shirai [1]. The incident occurred in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. Before her death, Okazaki and her family had sought help from the police regarding the stalking behavior.

Kanagawa Prefectural Police later acknowledged that they underestimated the danger and urgency of the situation. The police department said they lacked basic countermeasures, and failed to issue appropriate warnings or prohibition orders to the perpetrator [2].

"We deeply apologize for the inappropriate response to the consultations from the victim and her relatives," the then-head of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police headquarters said [2].

While legal frameworks have evolved, advocates argue that legislation alone is insufficient. The Stalker Control Law was revised in December 2025 [5], and the number of arrests under the law has increased more than threefold [4]. However, support groups argue that without psychological intervention, offenders are likely to repeat their behavior.

Okazaki's father expressed concern that legal penalties do not address the root cause of the violence. He said that while things may seem to be moving in a positive direction, the same events will likely repeat if the perpetrator's personality does not change [2].

The proposed rehabilitation programs would aim to treat the behavioral and psychological drivers of stalking to prevent the escalation of harassment into lethal violence.

“"We deeply apologize for the inappropriate response to the consultations from the victim and her relatives,"”

This movement signals a shift in Japanese victim advocacy from seeking purely punitive measures to demanding preventative psychiatric intervention. The admission of failure by the Kanagawa Prefectural Police suggests that increasing the number of arrests is an insufficient metric for success if the underlying risk of escalation is not managed through behavioral rehabilitation.