These 23 indexes are referred to the Global Peace Index that measures the relative position of nation’s and regions’ peacefulness reported by Institute for Economics and Peace located in Sydney, Australia.
| Number and duration of internal conflicts | Number of deaths from external organized conflict | Number of deaths from internal organized conflict | Number, duration, and role in external conflicts |
| Intensity of organized internal conflict | Relations with neighboring countries | Level of perceived criminality in society | Number of refugees and displaced persons as percentage of population |
| Political instability | Impact of terrorism | Political terror | Number of homicides per 100,000 people |
| Level of violent crime | Likelihood of violent demonstrations | Number of jailed persons per 100,000 people | |
| Number of internal security officers and police per 100,000 people | Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP | Number of armed-services personnel per 100,000 | Volume of transfers of major conventional weapons as recipient (imports) per 100,000 people |
| Volume of transfers of major conventional weapons as supplier (exports) per 100,000 people | Financial contribution to UN peacekeeping missions | Nuclear and heavy weapons capability | Ease of access to small arms and light weapons |
As you know, this index is looked as the easy indicator to know which country is the most peaceful one in the world. As long as we see this index, it places a greater deal of weight to things related to war than domestic crimes.
Individual standard towards peacefulness is different depending on the people’s sense but things that you bring to your mind before anything else when checking country’s peacefulness index is probably domestic security standard and domestic crime rate.
I think potential crimes caused by an ordinary person in Japan is not as low level as you may expect. We have a lot of news about crimes occurred somewhere in Japan on a daily basis. It may be common that some kinds of crimes is broadcasted on TV on a daily basis but Japan which is even a country ranked within the top 10 of the Global Peace Index is in such a situation. This fact is thought provoking about what peacefulness is
| 1.096 | ||
| 1.196 | ||
| 1.274 | ||
| 1.318 | ||
| 1.353 | ||
| 1.372 | ||
| 1.381 | ||
| 1.382 | ||
| 1.391 | ||
| 1.393 |
I want you to know that just because of the country ranked in top 10 of World Peace Ranking surveyed by a global think tank doesn’t mean you can enjoy peaceful life unconditionally. A bud of crimes lurks somewhere.
Definition of domestic peace nowadays indicates naturally frequency of crimes because it is improbable that no crime occurs today and tomorrow however peace that country is. So quite naturally, Japan has many crimes at least every days as you could get to know criminal incidents through TV in your country.
Please understand potential crimes not shown on numerical value are rampant even in Japan. I don’t mean Japan is not safe country but words such as security, safety and peace used as the world peace index mean not that those words originally indicate but mean how low frequency of crime a country is.
If I am asked if Japan in safe country, I can only say Japan is relatively safer than other countries. With this introductory remarks, I want to talk about why Japan is safe country.
Contents
Why is Japan’s crime rate low? Seeing from Japanese cultural aspect
Chinese internet based media “Yidianzixun” published a article titled “Why is Japan’s crime rate such a low level?”. Article indicates even Japan occurs crimes but its frequency is a few. For example, we experienced a big earthquake in Hokkaido in September, 2018. However, there was no big crime broadcasted by Japanese major mass media but only a reported crime during earthquake was that there had been a man who stole 2 cigarette cartons from a convenience store under power failure. This media tells 80 percent of Japanese people have safety mind towards security and crimes.
Yidianzixun raised up 5 reasons about low crime rate in Japan.
Self-disciplined national trait
The first things is Japanese people’s self-discipline mind. Japanese people naturally have been educated by their parents about what is good to do and what is bad to do to live associated with other people in a community and society since their childhood.
So Japanese people have the habit to restrain themselves to judge good things and bad things from one situation from the viewpoint of not causing trouble to anyone else.
Absolute obedience sense towards laws
Japanese parents educate studiously the importance of compliance with laws. It is like whatever kind of situation you are in, regulated laws are to be obeyed with no exception. No matter how small crime you offend, you must atone for your sin.
Under arrest no matter how small crime it is.
“Yidianzixun” indicates there is a person who was arrested because of stealing only one toilet roll from a supermarket by a officer. This Chinese media emphasize the difference between Japanese police and Chinese police about the response to small crimes. For example, if a small crime occurs in China, a police seems to reconcile between the persons concerns. Whether police will intervene initiatively in small crimes is all depends on victim’s damage cost.
Compensation for crimes is quite heavy
No matter how small crime you commit, crime records are surely remained in police database. This unreadable crime records interferes events which mark the stages of your life such as when you get a job and when you get married with someone. This social sanction directly connects to crime prevention.
Many police officers
There are so many police boxes back and forth especially in the Metropolitan area. Frequency of the number of patrols is as quite often as you could see police cars twice or more in 30 minutes when you walk on the path.
There are so many reasons about Japan’s low crime rate from the aspect of social structure. However, the most important factor that influences on low crime rate is low wage differential.
The World Top Incomes Database tells the ratio that income concentrates to top 1 percent household by country.
- The United States: 20.2% (2014)
- England: 14.5% (2013)
- Canda: 13.6% (2010)
- Germany: 13.2% (2013)
- France: 11.1% (2014)
- Japan: 10.4% (2010)
Mizuho financial group explains the reason of less wealthy class household than other advanced countries as follows.
Executives of big enterprises that receive extraordinary high remuneration tend to occupy one of entire income in western countries. In contrast, Japan has so many companies that set remuneration lower that is linked to company’s achievements. Therefore, there are less wealth class households in Japan than that in western countries.
This quote expresses the social system of Japan very simply. This becomes the reason that Japan is ridiculed as “corporative socialism”.
Thanks to this system, salaries paid to entire workers by a company are quite equality and have few difference even in spite of difference of position and responsibility to the assigned tasks. There are quite a few complaint from people towards this socialism system. But instead of that. Employment and the problem of difference is more stable than other advanced countries.
Low living cost
As long as at least one person in a household has full time job with lifetime employment, few people have incentive involved with crimes. In addition, low living cost per person is also the reason to help reduce incentive towards crimes.
Ratio that people live in house or an apartment is indicated to be closely related with crime rate. In Japan, generally, monthly rent can be kept equal to or less than one third of monthly salary. Real estate agencies introduce various apartment depending on the income level.
Even if you can’t afford to rent an apartment, safe and clean accommodations are available with very cheap charge. Even homeless people can use this kind of place.
I have question for you. How many beggar do you meet when you walk on the path in Japan? This is very simple indicator of how many people sleep in the open on a road.
There is no illegal drug circulation route
In Japan, alcohol and cigarette could be easily obtained but it is quite difficult to obtain illegal drugs. For most of Japanese people having comfortable life standard, illegal drugs are not really attractive. Japanese mentality that has strong resistance to offending against laws and rules is also strongly affected to rejection towards any drugs.
Actually, it is said that yakuza syndicate grabs drug circulation route in Japan but as long as I hear the news related to drugs, I feel unlawful foreigners’ drug syndicate is much more stronger in Japan because drug sellers are mostly foreigners.
Conclusion
In the process I research on Japan’s domestic security, the most interesting things stumbled on towards the question why Japan is safe country are “corporative socialism” and “Japanese mentality towards rules and laws”.
No, maybe the things that support standard of society and keep decline social system is Japanese mentality. Japanese people have absolute obedience sense towards laws that place importance on public interest in their subconscious mind and this mentality naturally require public interest to companies in the direction of socialism. Corporation climate with prominent wealthy executives is possibly looked as disciplinary offense that interferes public interest. Maybe…
Anyway this social climate put the brakes on extreme capitalism and help reduce wage difference. Coexisting both of capitalism and socialism properly in a society is probably a secret to reduce crime, I think…