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It's safe. There are fewer homicides in the entire country of 125 million than just the city of Chicago each year.

psergeant 9y ago
Homicide rate seems a ridiculous rate to use; I suspect the homicide rate per 100,000 startup founders is a rounding error of — for example — road traffic accidents.
- whatyoucantsay 9y ago
  A low violence, high trust society has spillover benefits. Aside from not being likely to be murdered, you can expend much less energy on safety. If your concern is just survival, then perhaps Japan's perennial rank at the top of WHO life expectancy rankings is something that would interest you.
ekianjo 9y ago
Yes, very safe indeed. It can be quite fun when you are in your 20s, if you live in big urban centers (night life, etc.) - but it's also an impenetrable society. Not being Japanese will place barriers around you in many aspects of the society, sooner or later (even if you are fluent in the language). It's important to be aware of this.
- kotrunga 9y ago
  Do you mind expanding on this? I’m curious about what barriers will be put up, as I’ve thought about moving there.
  - ekianjo 9y ago
    I can elaborate - contact me via PM.
pembrook 9y ago
Not a reason to choose Japan specifically. That is also true for pretty much every 1st and 2nd world country on earth that isn’t the US.
- richardknop 9y ago
  For homicides yes. You can live in Germany or some other European country where murders and gun crime are in single digits per year (haven't checked the latest number, could be higher than single digits but much less compared to US, you get my point). But the difference compared to Japan is in more petty crime. Things already mentioned in this thread - you can't just leave your laptop on coffee table and go to the loo for 10 min. Or leave your bicycle in front of a store and go inside for half an hour. As a European I don't think there are many (if any) places in Europe where you don't have to watch your back and be aware of thieves and other (potentially dangerous or at least inconvenient) dodgy street elements. Add to that overall cleanliness (amount of homeless people shitting on streets, screaming obscenities on people walking by etc, in US and EU cities that will be quite normal, in most Asian cities this would be a rarity) and moving to a place like Japan can be attractive option for people.
twoquestions 9y ago
I'd doubt this, I've heard that Japanese police will classify clear murders as suicides if they can't solve the murder quickly.

Homicide rate seems a ridiculous rate to use; I suspect the homicide rate per 100,000 startup founders is a rounding error of — for example — road traffic accidents.

whatyoucantsay 9y ago
A low violence, high trust society has spillover benefits. Aside from not being likely to be murdered, you can expend much less energy on safety. If your concern is just survival, then perhaps Japan's perennial rank at the top of WHO life expectancy rankings is something that would interest you.

ekianjo 9y ago

Yes, very safe indeed. It can be quite fun when you are in your 20s, if you live in big urban centers (night life, etc.) - but it's also an impenetrable society. Not being Japanese will place barriers around you in many aspects of the society, sooner or later (even if you are fluent in the language). It's important to be aware of this.

kotrunga 9y ago
Do you mind expanding on this? I’m curious about what barriers will be put up, as I’ve thought about moving there.
- ekianjo 9y ago
  I can elaborate - contact me via PM.

pembrook 9y ago

Not a reason to choose Japan specifically. That is also true for pretty much every 1st and 2nd world country on earth that isn’t the US.

richardknop 9y ago
For homicides yes. You can live in Germany or some other European country where murders and gun crime are in single digits per year (haven't checked the latest number, could be higher than single digits but much less compared to US, you get my point). But the difference compared to Japan is in more petty crime. Things already mentioned in this thread - you can't just leave your laptop on coffee table and go to the loo for 10 min. Or leave your bicycle in front of a store and go inside for half an hour. As a European I don't think there are many (if any) places in Europe where you don't have to watch your back and be aware of thieves and other (potentially dangerous or at least inconvenient) dodgy street elements. Add to that overall cleanliness (amount of homeless people shitting on streets, screaming obscenities on people walking by etc, in US and EU cities that will be quite normal, in most Asian cities this would be a rarity) and moving to a place like Japan can be attractive option for people.

twoquestions 9y ago

I'd doubt this, I've heard that Japanese police will classify clear murders as suicides if they can't solve the murder quickly.