Safe Is It To Travel In Japan?

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Japan is an archipelago of almost 7,000 islands found between the Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan in East Asia. Its natural beauty, hot springs, exotic cuisine, history, culture
and 18 World Heritage Sites attract visitors from all over the world. During 2013, Japan
hosted more than 10 million tourists, representing nearly $15 billion in international
tourism receipts, according to the 2014 Edition of the UN World Tourism Organization's
Tourism Highlights, the most recent version available.  

Japan is one of the world's safest nations. But with earthquakes in the news – and
memories of Japan's 2011 earthquake and resulting  tsunami and Fukushima nuclear
accident still fairly fresh – how worried should tourists be about their safety?
And what about those stories of being robbed in Tokyo?

When making plans to travel or live abroad, safety is often a consideration. People
traveling to Japan – or any other country in the world, for that matter – are not immune
 from risk. Here, we take a quick look at how safe it is to travel in Japan.

Global Peace Index Ranking

The Global Peace Index, created by the Institute for Economics and Peace, measures
the relative peacefulness of 162 nations across the globe that represent 99% of the world’s
population. The Index measures peace based on 22 qualitative and quantitative indicators
 including ongoing domestic and international conflict, societal safety and security
(including crime rates), and militarization. For the 2014 study, Japan ranked 8 out of
162 countries, falling behind only Iceland (#1), Denmark, Austria, New Zealand,
Switzerland, Finland and Canada (for comparison, the U.S. ranked 101).

Many of the Index’s indicators are scored on a 1 to 5 (very low to very high) ranking system.
Japan scored 1 on many of the indicators, including homicides, jailed population,
access to weapons, organized conflict (internal), violent demonstrations, violent crimes,
political instability, weapons imports, terrorist activity and deaths from conflict
(internal and external). 

Advice from the U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State issues travel alerts and warnings on an ongoing basis, and
travelers to any region should check for notices before leaving home and while abroad,
if possible. The U.S. Department of State notes on its website: “The general crime rate in
Japan is well below the U.S. national average. Crimes against U.S. citizens in Japan usually
 involve personal disputes, theft, or vandalism. Violent crime is rare, but it does exist.
Robberies committed after a victim has been drugged from a spiked drink are increasing.
Sexual assaults are not often reported, but they do occur, and females may be randomly
targeted.”

The U.S. Department of State specifically mentions Roppongi and Kabuki-cho –
entertainment districts in Tokyo that cater to foreigners and are considered high-risk areas
for crime, especially misuse of credit card information and credit card/cash theft
associated with drink spiking.  . 

Natural Disasters and Other Risks

While Japan is considered a “safe” country in terms of dangers perpetrated by other
people, natural disasters pose other risks. Over the years, Japan has been affected by
devastating natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, typhoons and
volcanic eruptions.

It’s worth noting that certain areas in the country are more (or less) prone to natural
disasters. Tohoku, in the northeast, and Kanto (near Tokyo), for example, are more prone
to earthquakes. Regions that are more likely to be affected by typhoons include Okinawa,
Kyushu and Hokkaido. And active volcanoes exist, including Japan’s most famous volcano,
Mount Fuji, and Mount Unzen in Shimabara. Of course, the same can be said of the U.S.,
with the Eastern seaboard being more prone to hurricanes and the Midwest more likely to
experience tornados.

Insurance firm Swiss Re ranked 616 urban centers from around the world by how prone
they are to extreme weather events. In Japan, Nagoya ranked sixth because of its tsunami
risk; Osaka-Kobe ranked fourth due to the risk of earthquakes and tsunamis; and Tokyo-
Yokohama ranked first because of the risk of earthquake, floods, tsunamis and monsoons.
Also appearing in the top 10 was Los Angeles, Calif., ranked ninth because it sits on the San
Andreas Fault, making it highly prone to earthquakes.

So are natural disasters a real threat to tourists in Japan? Maybe, but the odds of being in
an area while it is struck by disaster are statistically small because of their infrequency.

Radiation is also a concern following the Fukushima nuclear accident triggered by the
March 11, 2011, earthquake and subsequent tsunami. While radiation is still present in the
accident’s vicinity, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic
Radiation (UNSCEAR) published a report in April 2014 that stated, “The doses to the
general public, both those incurred during the first year and estimated for their lifetimes,
are generally low or very low. No discernible increased incidence of radiation-related
health effects are expected among exposed members of the public or their descendants.”