Tokyo, Feb 2 (TIWN) Japan's crime rate increased for the first time in 20 years in 2022, as relaxed Covid-19 regulations may have led to a rise in instances of street crime, a police said on Thursday.

According to the National Police Agency, there were 601,389 instances of crime in the recording period, marking an increase of 5.9 per cent from 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the agency, the most serious crimes, including murder, climbed 8.1 per cent to 9,536, while domestic violence consultations and cases involving suspected child abuse hit record highs.

Regarding suspected child abuse cases leading to the police getting in touch with child consultation centres, cases involving a record 115,730 minors were reported in 2022.

The data also showed that instances of domestic violence climbed to 84,493 in the recording period.