Everyone thinks Japan is such a safe country. And for the most part it, it is. The closest you ever get to guns are the ones they sell in the model shop I pass every now and then. They’re pretty good replicas, but they’re not going to allow for any killing sprees. I have a feeling that accounts for quite a bit of the safety (while on the reverse side, not EVERYONE in America carries a gun, which is a sentiment a few people here carry.) What this does translate into, however, are knives. If you can’t be violent with a gun, people turn to knives. There have been a few notable cases, such as this guy who went nuts in Akihabara, the “nerd” district of Tokyo. Japan does have its share of crime.
Why do I bring this up? Last night, it was very loud outside my window. At first I thought it was kids goofing around, because that’s usually what happens. Well, when I opened my sliding rice paper screen, I was greeted by the flashing lights of a parked police car and an ambulance whirring by. Now, I see ambulances flying places all the time, but why were they so close. Turns out, my neighborhood made the morning news today. There is a 7-Eleven just down the street from my house and a large apartment complex behind my house. Apparently a woman picked some stuff up at the store, and managed to pick up a stalker on the way home as well. At the entrance to her apartment, the man pulled out a knife and demanded her purse before stabbing her and making off with it. He still hasn’t been caught, and I think the woman is doing ok. It felt like a TV drama when i went outside today and their were several plainclothes cops flashing their badges and asking questions like “Did you hear anything last night?”
What was interesting was the attitude towards it. My host mother was telling me it was so scary, and how these sorts of things have been increasing with the downturn of the economy. Another prevalent tactic is to swipe purses from walking pedestrians while on a bike. Apparently another effective tactic is the reverse – grabbing purses and bags from the baskets of bike as they go by. I’ve never had a problem (though I did see a pretty intense streetfight in Shibuya at 4am, but that is a different story…)
It just should be noted, that in the face of people always saying how safe Japan is, crime still happens.
Tags: crime, Japan, safety, tokyo
Posted June 7, 2009 by Cory under Japan
June 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
What is also an issue leading to the “relative safety of Japan,” to borrow your words, is the extent to which crime goes unreported. Saving face definitely extends to acts of crime; so while Japan is, indeed, a relatively safe place to be/live (as compared to, but not limited to, the U.S., Mexico, and especially countries like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan), I think it’s important to add a little mental asterisk to Japanese crime statistics.
Nice post, Cory. Though, I’m sorry something like that had to happen right outside your building.
June 7th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
In America, of course, there is no way in hell that sort of petty theft could have been on the morning news.
June 7th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Stay safe son.