4 ms·

The only thing that's going to be under-reported is sexual harassment/assault by known acquaintances (to avoid making a scene). That's not good, but it's very d

The only thing that's going to be under-reported is sexual harassment/assault by known acquaintances (to avoid making a scene). That's not good, but it's very different from whatever it is you're trying to imply. It's not like there's some hidden epidemic of theft and violent crime hidden in the published statistics.

mc32 9y ago
There is one more thing to add. That's murder --many get classified as "accidental death" or something similar. This helps in the conviction rates. But this is still very, very low, despite the misclassification. And for the most part involves gangs, which are on the retreat (dying out and getting pushed out as it becomes less lucrative).
- vinay427 9y ago
  Are these mostly premeditated murders that don't normally affect tourists or other passersby?
  - mc32 9y ago
    Quite. Gangs don't have anything to gain by offing a tourist. It's an expensive proposition.
- emodendroket 9y ago
  I mean, even if gangs are "on the retreat" they're starting from a very strong, entrenched position.
  - mc32 9y ago
    From a high of ~160k members after wwii to between 20 and 40,000 today[1], they are on the wane since the gov started a crackdown back in 2011. They are in a very weak position. [1]http://www.newsweek.com/yakuza-gang-members-japan-arrests-570110 http://www.newsweek.com/yakuza-gang-members-japan-arrests-57...
    - emodendroket 9y ago
      I'm honestly surprised to learn of such a precipitous decline. But still, stories like this one keep popping up, and many legitimate businesses have organized crime ties. https://news.vice.com/article/this-may-be-the-most-dangerous-and-most-costly-photo-in-japan https://news.vice.com/article/this-may-be-the-most-dangerous... e: Also, for reference, the American mafia supposedly has about 3k members. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mafia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mafia

mc32 9y ago

There is one more thing to add. That's murder --many get classified as "accidental death" or something similar. This helps in the conviction rates. But this is still very, very low, despite the misclassification. And for the most part involves gangs, which are on the retreat (dying out and getting pushed out as it becomes less lucrative).

vinay427 9y ago
Are these mostly premeditated murders that don't normally affect tourists or other passersby?
- mc32 9y ago
  Quite. Gangs don't have anything to gain by offing a tourist. It's an expensive proposition.
emodendroket 9y ago
I mean, even if gangs are "on the retreat" they're starting from a very strong, entrenched position.
- mc32 9y ago
  From a high of ~160k members after wwii to between 20 and 40,000 today[1], they are on the wane since the gov started a crackdown back in 2011. They are in a very weak position. [1]http://www.newsweek.com/yakuza-gang-members-japan-arrests-570110 http://www.newsweek.com/yakuza-gang-members-japan-arrests-57...
  - emodendroket 9y ago
    I'm honestly surprised to learn of such a precipitous decline. But still, stories like this one keep popping up, and many legitimate businesses have organized crime ties. https://news.vice.com/article/this-may-be-the-most-dangerous-and-most-costly-photo-in-japan https://news.vice.com/article/this-may-be-the-most-dangerous... e: Also, for reference, the American mafia supposedly has about 3k members. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mafia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mafia