Searching for explanation, I wouldn't focus on recent trends. Continentals have been remarking on the high crime rate in urban England for centuries. As for Jap

Searching for explanation, I wouldn't focus on recent trends. Continentals have been remarking on the high crime rate in urban England for centuries. As for Japan, the Tokugawa regime (1603-1868) was a draconian police state and the tradition of heavy social control has continued in various forms. It would be more interesting to examine urban societies that have a low crime rate along with more relaxed social control.