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Over 50% in Japan feel public safety has worsened in last 10 years: survey

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Public safety did not rise...

Public safety is just getting more publicity.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Seems quite foreign residents in Japan think Japan is still so safe. What are the reasons you think that make you think so really? I mean what you think cause difference ? Is it Asian or Japanese (in particular) character? or J-police or J-laws or Japanese justice? or overall social structure, education etc. including over-all homogeneous situation?

What do you think must be changed to make your home country as safe as Japan?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Japan is double plus safe compared to my home country, especially on the streets. My poor old mum moved away from my hometown Croydon to live at the seaside, the center had one much violence and muggings in the evenings. The train station that used to have a line of black cabs outside, now has a line of hookers.

Thankfully Japan hasn’t become so ghastly. My mum said to me last week “ Steve stay in Japan and never give up on your dreams, remember, he who dares wins”.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

China, Singapore, Korea and Japan have a lot of security, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden are fine,

the rest of the decadent west world is a total disaster..

and just how many of these countries have you been to make such a claim?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

People are getting lazier and are poorer than 10 years ago.

as a result more people not giving an EFF and resorting to crime.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Still I think Japan is a very safe place to live, and it all depends on how far you wish to expose yourself wide open to thieves and scammers. We have all the tools available to live a safe life style but some of us choose to be exposed and not take the necessary steps to protect themselves so they fall victims to scammers and thieves.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japanese people are scandalized by a few crimes and create that bad and unrealistic perception, the crime statistics continue to drop in Japan, like it or not, cyber crimes are the ones that are on the rise, but for a country of 125 million inhabitants it is a very very safe place to live, China, Singapore, Korea and Japan have a lot of security, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden are fine, the rest of the decadent west world is a total disaster..

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Totally true.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

So 50% are glass half full and 50% are glass half empty.....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, China number 2. 

Totalitarian state that don't care about their citizens. 

Very good and trustful ranking it is.

You have clearly never been to China! Just believing the western media about China has blindfolded you! I worked and lived in many cities in China for 10 years and spent 10 years in Japan as well and China felt much safer than Japan. Of course it’s not as clean and quiet as Japan on most days but Japan also has its fair share of dirty, dodgy and rowdy areas! Countries such as the US is the worst in terms of personal safety!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I thought this article was about the safety of Japan but some posters decided to make comparisons to where they come from or where they visited.

Over 50% in Japan feel public safety has worsened in last 10 years: survey

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@Alfie Noakes

Very good points. It's also before an election. The ruling party, just like any "conservatives", needs fear to justify its authoritarian tendencies.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Still beats small town U.K where I'm from with random stabbings and killings in London all the time !

Just goes to show how safe Japan is even with increasing crime. A crime here makes national news. A crime where I'm from, L.A., won't even make local news even thing things like murder.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

the Cabinet Office survey

It's well known that these Cabinet Office surveys aren't intended to reflect public opinion but to influence it. The tactic of alarming the public to create a need for protection and through this fear maintain government control is as old as human society itself.

Crime in Japan has been decreasing since the early 1960s. Owing to demographic collapse and the aging society, many areas have virtually no crime for the police to deal with now, yet the number of police officers has actually been increasing, apparently up to 260,000 in 2019. Since no bureaucracy ever volunteers to reduce its own budget the police must find reasons to maintain these astonishing numbers. Spreading low level fuan is one way to do it.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Statistically crime is up in Japan.

RodneyToday  07:26 pm JST

But England, my gosh, I always carried a knife and kept my money in my socks.

Absolutely.

Violence in England ha skyrocketed.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Only lived in China, Japan and England. China was the safest. Without Fukushima disaster it is the same as China. But England, my gosh, I always carried a knife and kept my money in my socks. I love japan and China, but the rest of the world is on fire.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

It would be nice if they ever included actual crime figures. Japan has been getting safer and safer over the past 20 years, but it’s useful to make people feel that things are more dangerous

2 ( +6 / -4 )

If you don’t feel safe in Japan, you have little idea what the rest of the world looks like. First world problems (anxieties).

Side question, is there a more orderly place in the world?

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Japanese, in general, have been kept in the dark regarding the number of crimes that actually are committed here on a daily basis.

All media, newspapers, TV, etc, have not reported about daily crime for lord only knows how long.

SNS has changed that, as more and more people are becoming (FINALLY) aware of what is going on around them, and the "numbers" are showing their discontent.

Nothing really has changed, major crime is still low, relatively speaking.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Snowymountainhell

Your absolutely correct about more surveys need to be conducted and in a way that's easier for everyone that wants to have a say can participate.

Social media perhaps .

2 ( +6 / -4 )

What about the other 50%? Have they been living under a rock?

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

More than 50 percent of respondents to a government survey said they feel public safety in Japan has worsened over the past 10 years, with many raising concerns about online fraud and cybercrimes, according to the results released in March.

Online fraud and cybercrimes are what you can protect yourself from if you learn how to and all you could lose is your money. *

Physical violence, with knife/guns etc are not. In such sense Japan is still safe , maybe still one of the most safest countries. Yet, there are too many weirdos walking around on the streets these days.

Of course I am excluding earthquake.

I have been to Singapore so many times and wonder how it is like these days

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

More than 50 percent of respondents to a government survey said they feel public safety in Japan has worsened over the past 10 years, with many raising concerns about online fraud and cybercrimes, according to the results released in March.

Online fraud and cybercrimes are what you can protect yourself if you learn how to and all you could lose is your money. *

Physical violence, with knife/guns etc are not. In such sense Japan is still safe , maybe still one of the most safest countries. Yet, there are too many weirdos walking around on the streets these days.

I have been to Singapore so many times and wonder how it is like these days

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Asked in a multiple-answer question about places where respondents think they or those close to them could fall victim to crimes, "online spaces" topped the list at 53.9 percent, followed by "on the streets" at 50.7 percent and "downtown areas" at 47.9 percent.

While the most likely place the Japanese public will be subject to crimes are at the office, ballot box and tax bureau.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Still beats small town U.K where I'm from with random stabbings and killings in London all the time !

13 ( +21 / -8 )

Conversely @MiniKaeru 5:10pm, even a mentally-conditioned, routinely-abused spouse or child may think they feel love from their torturer …on the days they’re not being beaten.

@MiniKaeru 5:10pm: “This can be an effect of selective memory, the best parts remembered fondly while the bad is forgotten, recent memories are much fresher and so people get the idea that recently things are worse.” -

4 ( +12 / -8 )

Admittedly, feel saver walking the streets here as an obvious foreigner than the majority of Japanese who are increasingly fearful of random violence, particularly knife and/or arson attacks in public places.

According to a 2019 survey there are even greater disparities between the ‘official’, NPA published statistics and J citizens perceptions:

Actual J Police Reported Crimes: Sharp objects & knives 23%, firearms 6%, other physical violence: 53%,

Japanese Respondents: Sharp objects & knives 41%, firearms 6%, other physical violence 71%

(The only concurrence is obviously on the rarity of gun crimes in Japan.)

12 ( +15 / -3 )

A ‘truth’ about Japan is emerging. There needs to be more of these surveys, broader in scope and more often. Particularly done well before any elections and/or considerations & promises of any pending stimulus payments:

- “The mail survey conducted between Dec ‘21 - Jan ‘22 targeted those aged 18+or with Japanese nationality. It drew responses from 1,790 people.”

6 ( +15 / -9 )

So 1790 people represent Japan? If you give people a few multiple choice questions then that's what you get for a result. Maybe they should have widened their poll to have a more representative result

7 ( +14 / -7 )

So that means 50% feel that public safety hasn't worsened

0 ( +11 / -11 )

With the widening gap between rich and poor, and people becoming more and more desperate, of COURSE there is an increase in crime and things are less safe. This will go up exponentially as resources dwindle, taxes increase, people grow older and more susceptible to scams, and poverty increases while the rich just get richer. Japan is sliding into third-world status, slowly but surely. We need to bring in people en masse and get them working so that we can improve life here for all. The insistence on resisting immigration is only going to further pinch the impoverished.

-7 ( +15 / -22 )

Well its not 50% of Japan then is it !

The headline is misleading.

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

This can be just an effect of selective memory, like with music or other things, the best part of old times are remembered fondly while the bad is forgotten, recent memories are much fresher and so people get the idea that recently things are worse.

5 ( +16 / -11 )

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