Can we find some statistics for crime in Japan with tourist / foreign victims?

Can we find some statistics for crime in Japan with tourist / foreign victims? - Woman Walking in the Street during Night Time

I've now been to Japan I think seven times in the past fifteen years, for durations between 24 hours and three months.

I had always found Japan matches or exceeds reports of being perhaps the safest country in the world where you can go anywhere any time of day or night and pretty much trust everybody without fear of being a victim of any kind of crime.

Until about a month and a half into my most recent trip when all my money was stolen while I was using an onsen. I hadn't put my valuables in a locker because they weren't free and because of my previous experience and perception of safety in Japan.

This has made me wonder if there are some actual statistics regarding foreigners or tourists being victims of crime in Japan.

I'm interested in any kinds of stats along these lines: Which crimes are most common against tourists? Which prefectures, cities, or parts of cities have higher crime against tourists? Which kinds of places are riskiest? (Are onsens listed?)

Please do not answer with an essay on how safe Japan is and how such things hardly ever happen. I've already said that and I agree. Now I want some raw stats please.


Related but different questions that will only get linked if I don't do it myself first:



Best Answer

The Japanese Police Agency only lists crimes committed by foreigners (and does have them listed by both country of origin of the offender, and part of Japan they were committed in).

The Wikipedia Article focuses again on crimes committed by foreigners, rather than crimes against foreigners.

The best that I can find is the US government site on visiting Japan:

The general crime rate is below the U.S. national average. Crimes against U.S. citizens usually involve personal disputes, theft, or vandalism. Pickpocketing and other petty crimes do occasionally take place in crowded shopping areas, bars/nightclubs, train stations, and airports. Every year, a number of U.S. citizens report their passports lost or stolen at Narita airport.

Other high-risk areas for crime include Shinjuku, especially the areas of Kabuki-cho, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro. However, all personnel should use caution in all entertainment and nightlife districts throughout Japan. Incidents involving U.S. citizens since the spring of 2008 in these areas include physical and sexual assaults, drug overdoses, thefts of purses, wallets, cash, and credit cards at bars or clubs and drugs slipped into drinks.

(No, these are not stats)

There are very few foreigners in Japan (especially if you separate out those with special permanent residence). The crime rate is also incredibly low (for instance, there were 1,031 thefts reported across the country from the months of January to April 2014). In a year you'd likely not get a single incident reported in a every prefecture.

I would bet that due to the incredibly small sampling size, if the government doesn't record them, there isn't much a chance of getting an objective estimate from a third party. I tried to find something, but (understandably) the Japanese are more concerned about crime by foreigners, or crime against tourists/immigrants from Japan in places overseas.




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Is Japan safe for foreigners?

Japan is generally safe and is rated among the safest countries in the world. Reports of crime such as theft are very low and travellers are often stunned by the fact that locals leave belongings unaccompanied in cafes and bars (though we certainly don't recommend it!).

What crime is committed the most in Japan?

The most frequently occurring crime in the nation has continued to be theft, making up more than 70 percent of the recorded cases. The overall clearance rate of Penal Code offenses in 2019 was 39 percent, while the larceny case clearance rate reached 34 percent.

Does Japan have a high crime rate?

According to the 2013 UNODC statistics, Japan's rate of intentional homicide per 100,000 population was one of the lowest in the world at 0.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.

How does Japan have a low crime rate?

Differences in law enforcement are the reasons most often mentioned in professional journals for Japan's low crime rate; these. include longer professional training, high esprit de corps among officers, a more efficient court system, and strict bans on handguns in Japan.



Why Japan's Crime Rate Is So Low




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Aleksandar Pasaric, Pixabay, Aleksandar Pasaric, Satoshi Hirayama