If you’re a woman, traveling to another country with different customs and cultures can be a nerve-wracking experience. You might feel safe in your own country, but there are always things to keep in mind when you travel to make sure you stay safe.
If you’re looking at traveling to Japan in the near future, you’ll probably want to know what it’s like to go there. Is it a safe country? Is Japan safe for women?
If you find yourself asking these questions, then you’ve arrived at the right place! In this article, we’re going to be examining how safe Japan is as a country for women.
We’ll take a look at some of the crime rates, problems you might run into, and give you some general tips for staying safe when traveling alone or with a group.
How Safe Is Japan?
Thankfully, Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. It has some of the lowest crime rates you’ll find, and travelers often feel like it’s one of the safest countries that they have or ever will experience.
You’ll find cases of people leaving their car doors unlocked, or young children riding the subway alone. This is because society heavily values safety and public order, and crime has a high conviction rate.
You might be wondering how a country can be so safe – there are a few reasons for this and we’re going to briefly outline them below.
Social Values: Japan is a mostly collective society, meaning that people care a lot more about the collective whole rather than the individual. This is both a good thing, but it means that social harmony is well sought after and people who do step out of line are much more likely to be publicly shamed. For the most part, Japanese citizens like to keep to themselves and to avoid any trouble.
Policing: Law enforcement is much different in Japan, consisting of a few major features. This includes high spirit in police forces, an efficient court system, and very strict laws and bans around weaponry.
Police & Citizens: One thing to note is there is much less disdain for the police from members of the public compared to other countries such as the United States of America. People are way more likely to cooperate with the police, report crimes, and help out if they see a crime occuring.
Crime In Japanese Cities
One thing to note here is that city centers are a lot safer due to a few reasons. Lots of places are very well lit and managed by security guards or regular policing.
This massive police presence means that crime is much less likely to occur. Small crimes such as petty theft like pickpocketing are infrequent and often heavily penalized.
Drug culture is very low within Japan, mostly because substances have heavier penalties than in other countries, and there is a general stigma towards people who interact with them.
This combination of high penalties and national value stops a lot of crimes that other countries frequently experience.
Sexual Harrasment
One thing you’ve probably heard about Japan is the issue of sexual harrasment. It’s one of the main things to worry about as a female traveler, especially if you’re alone.
Whilst you won’t find more commonplace issues such as cat-calling, there have been instances of sexual harassment and groping, particularly on busy public transport.
These crimes are most likely to occur during rush hour in heavily congested areas. Take a very busy train during this time, for example, this is sometimes used as an opportunity for men to grope women undetected.
Thankfully, this issue has been addressed in part by the government, who now offer train cars that separate women and make them feel safer.
There will be signs for these you’ll be able to see, and they are often written in both English and Japanese.
That’s not to say that you will definitely experience this kind of horrible behavior when traveling in Japan, and it’s more of an exception rather than a rule, but it is important to consider this when in busy areas and to keep an eye on anybody you might think would be a problem.
General Safety Tips For Japan
Whilst Japan is very safe, and you’re much less likely to encounter any kind of crime even when walking in a city late at night, there are some general things you’ll want to keep in mind.
We’ve listed a few of these below:
Belongings: You’re going to want to always keep track of your belongings.
Japan is different from other countries to the point you could probably leave your wallet on a park bench and find it still there hours later, but this isn’t something you should do and you should instead act as if you’re in any other place in the world.
Area Research: There aren’t many places in Japan you have to watch out for, but if you’re traveling to a city, it’s always a good idea to do some research on where it is safe and where you might have to watch out.
Take Kabukicho for example, which is the largest red-light district in the world.
You’re probably going to be fine just passing through, but it’s not the kind of place you’d want to be drunk or lost in late at night.
Make sure you do some research before visiting an area you’re not sure about.
Drawing Attention: Japan has some very ingrained social values and expected behavior that you’ll want to go along with.
As a foreigner, you want to make sure you’re being polite and respectful and keeping quiet on public transport.
It’s not like if you break some of these social codes you’ll be thrown in jail or beaten up, but you should make sure to be careful, out of respect if nothing else.
Jaywalking is illegal in Japan, so that’s something you’ll want to keep in mind.
Final Thoughts
So in conclusion, Japan is one of the safest countries in the world for women to travel to. Low crime rates and great policing mean that you won’t have to worry all that much no matter where you are.
That said, you will need to keep your wits about you and make sure you’re following standard travel safety rules to make sure you don’t put yourself in a bad situation.
Hi, I’m Jason Patrick, and for as long as I have been alive, I have been obsessed with Japanese culture. From the sights and sounds of Japan’s many cities to its culinary delights that have become famous worldwide, I simply cannot get enough of this wonderful nation!
I hope that, by exploring this website, you all will develop a much deeper appreciation for Japan, and that it may even influence you to pay it a visit yourself eventually! It is definitely a trip of a lifetime, and whether you experience it firsthand, or through my own website, I’m sure you will become just as passionate as I always have been!
