Why Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, and what is still worth remembering.

Japan consistently ranks among the safest countries: street crime is extremely low, you can walk around at night with confidence, and a forgotten item is often returned.

What is reassuring

  • A low level of theft; children ride the subway to school on their own.
  • Clean tap water and the highest standards of food and hygiene.
  • The police (koban, the booths on the streets) will help with directions.

What to keep in mind

  • Natural forces: earthquakes and typhoons are real. Install an early-warning app and study the evacuation plan at your hotel. Typhoon season is August–October.
  • Medicine is excellent but expensive — get insurance.
  • The language barrier: outside tourist places little English is spoken; an offline translator on your phone helps.

Bottom line: Japan is safer than most destinations; basic caution and insurance are enough.

What surprises

  • The “lost and found” culture is taken to the extreme: every year in Tokyo billions of yen in lost cash are handed in to the police, and most of it is returned to the owners.
  • Millions of vending machines stand around the country — they are not broken into, which in itself is an indicator of the crime level.

Emergency numbers

110 is the police, 119 the ambulance and fire service. For medical care, keep your policy at hand — treatment is high quality but expensive.