Safety: Everyday Differences - Take 6!

In light of recent events, and the realization that I'm living in a country just a little too close to North Korea, I decided that safety would be a fitting topic for this month's blog post. Safety is something that I've spent a lot of time thinking about how much I don't think about since moving to Japan. Got that?! 

According to the 2017 Global Peace Index, Japan is the 10th safest country in the world. Just for comparison, the United States was ranked 114th. The index gauges global peace using three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization. Japan was ranked 3rd until 2007 and has been slowly increasing since then - perhaps due to the rise in international conflict with North Korea and the increase in tourists visiting the country. 

I have to preface this post by saying that I didn't consider my life in America unsafe; however, safety was often on my mind. In America, the individualistic cultural perspective can often lead to everyone looking out for him/herself. Whereas, in Japan, the collectivistic cultural perspective creates an environment in which everyone believes they have the responsibility to watch and look out for each other. Now, one perspective isn't necessarily better than the other, they are just different...and have a definite impact on people's actions and behaviors. In America, we worry about our valuables being taken or walking alone at night; in Japan we worry about whether our neighbor will look through our trash and tell us we sorted it incorrectly! 

While I have many, here are just a few examples of the way my daily life is different in Japan when it comes to safety.  

**In Japan, people hold their spots in public places using valuables.** 

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When walking into most public places with seating, you'll see phones, laptops, purses, cameras, and other valuables scattered upon tables and chairs with their owners nowhere to be found. The valuables are used to claim a space while a person orders food, runs to the bathroom, or even stops quickly in a neighboring store. And, on almost all occasions (there are bad people everywhere), the valuables are there when the person returns...untouched and often unnoticed. 

I have to admit that at first, I was rather hesitant to leave my belongings; however, I quickly embraced this behavior...and didn't realize how normal it had become to me until my dad and Sherri came to visit. When visiting one of my favorite cafes, I placed my backpack, purse, and computer on the table and told them to the do the same while we went back downstairs to order. My dad and Sherri looked at me with surprise...and it took some convincing before they were hesitantly willing to leave their belongings too. To their surprise and relief, their belongings were still there when we returned. 

I've also heard many stories about people who've left purses, wallets, or laptops on the train...and the items are almost always turned in with everything just the way it was left. While I would have found that surprising and considered myself lucky in America...it's the norm here in Japan. It's also common to see people sleeping on benches, lawns, stairwells, and even the sidewalk after long nights of drinking. Most of the time, people will pass by without giving the person much thought. They may move them to a safer place (off the sidewalk and onto the lawn), but they would never think about taking the person's belongings even if they were easily accessible. 

Here's a fun YouTube video about this very observation. 

Click Here

**Young children travel on their own.** 

One of the first things that I noticed when coming to Japan was that most of the children that I saw out and about were on their own. Walking downtown, riding bikes, taking the subway, riding the bus, shopping in the grocery stores, etc. And these children weren't nine or ten...many of them couldn't have been more than five years old. Sure, I played outside as a child and rode my bike to my friend's house; however, I can't even imagine heading off to kindergarten via subway, train, and bus on my own! Let alone in a city the size of Chicago! 

Kaz and I watched a show once in which parents worked with a camera crew to give their children a chore/job that required the child to travel across town alone, complete the task, and then return home. The children were three years old, and while the camera crew was set up secretly to keep an eye on the children (and to record their journey), all of the children completed the journey with little to no difficulty. I remember thinking...I don't think I would have even had the skills or maturity to complete a task like that at three years of age! However, I suppose you adjust to what you know!

Last week, I was out to lunch with a friend right before her family returned to America. We were at a food court and her children were asking to go off and look around on their own. She replied - Yep, go ahead...because once we're back in America...you won't be able to leave my side. And, in that moment, I realized just how much we've all changed our view on safety since arriving in Japan. 

**I travel on my own.** 

Since I don't drive in Japan, I rely on public transit or my feet to get me just about everywhere. And, GoogleMaps, which I would be absolutely lost without! While I am obviously aware of my surroundings, I give little thought to the fact that I am often traveling to a place I've never been before. More often than not, I know nothing about the neighborhood - and yet, I can only think of a few times when I wondered if it was going to be in a 'bad area.' Sure, every city has some 'questionable' areas (e.g., red light districts); however, questionable doesn't usually equate to unsafe - especially if you're just walking through. Crime, drugs, and even the mob all exist in Japan - you just have to be in those crowds to find the trouble. 

This past summer, a friend of mine and I went on a quest to find a beach. We looked up some spots and jumped on the train. We got a bit lost walking from the station to the beach and found ourselves literally wandering up and down random streets and alleys. I remember thinking to myself - where else have I been where I can just wander around an unknown place and have my only worry be that I might be a bit later than I expected! Living in Japan has definitely come with many challenges; however, the ability to come and go as I please (safely) has not been one of them. Even at night! 

**Police officers don't carry guns.** 

Kaz and I often joke that Japan's idea of heightened security is the police officers in Nagoya Station standing on stepladders. However, it's not far from the truth. I don't think I've seen a single police officer carrying a gun since we've arrived in Japan. And, because Japan doesn't allow guns as a whole - gun violence is something you rarely, if ever, hear about. 

Because of the lack of guns, almost all crimes in Japan are premeditated. People really have to plan if they want to hurt someone. If we hear about crimes, they are usually poisonings, assaults, or rather strange and often gruesome murders. 

My Japanese teacher told me about a story that was in the Japanese newspapers a few years ago. As it was extremely shocking and unheard of in Japan. A Japanese student was studying in America and had planned to attend a Halloween party with his friends. He made a mistake and walked into the wrong house. The person yelled for the student to get out, but the student froze because he didn't understand the language. And, the man ended up shooting and killing the student. I'm not sharing this story to make America sound bad, I just thought the comparison was a powerful one. Seeing as one of my friends, while visiting me in Japan, mistakenly walked into a random person's house while trying to find the inn she was staying at. The person looked at her with confusion; however, he stood up and escorted her to the inn next door. While it seems like she may not have been the first person to make this mistake - the differences in outcomes is a poignant reminder of how our environment can shape our actions.  

On a slightly more humorous albeit useful note, I've also realized that Japan tends to advertise that the safety found here may not be found in the rest of the world. Recently, my vocabulary during my Japanese lessons have centered around words used in emergencies, crimes, and accidents. The chapter also included a picture of things that could happen while traveling abroad. I'm not going to lie...I definitely giggled a bit; however, I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry. 

While there are many aspects of safety that I don't have to think much about in Japan, there are other aspects of safety that I've had to adjust to. For example, earthquake safety is big in Japan. I realized the first time that my phone went off making a loud noise and messages popped up that I couldn't read...that I didn't know what to do if an earthquake occurred. After doing some research, locating our disaster pack, and determining the location of the nearest evacuation area, I feel a little more prepared. But still hope that I don't have to experience a major earthquake while I'm here. Since I'm not a city girl, I've also had to adjust to living in a big city. Things like watching where I'm going at all times; dodging bikes, cars, and crowds of people; and, using my other senses since I often cannot read signs or understand what people are saying have been really important. I have to say that bikes are definitely one the scariest things here in Japan - especially in the areas where there are crowds of people at all times. Talk about giving your 'fight or flight' reflexes a run for their money. 

The purpose of this post is definitely not to prove that Japan is safer than America; instead, I was hoping to share the ways in which my daily life is a bit different than at home. While writing this post, I've also realized that most of the examples I've discussed fall under the criminal aspect of safety. However, safety is a rather broad category and can also include things like mental health, physical health, etc. When it comes to Japan, bullying, suicide, and overwork are all very prevalent social issues. Additionally, I've noticed that people in Japan (especially children, teens, and young adults) tend to be oblivious to their surroundings at times. On so many occasions, I've had to jump out of the way because someone was walking and texting or biking and texting...and not even glancing up to watch where he/she was going. I've also noticed that people here tend to stop while they are walking without looking around first. Crowd traffic will be flowing and then someone will stop for some reason and everyone will have to jump out of the way. I've had more than my fair share of near misses! I guess this just goes to show that we often acclimate to our environment and not always in a positive way! 

I'm going to leave you with an ACTUAL video clip from the 80s meant to teach Japanese people the ten most important English phrases to use when traveling abroad. I'll let you formulate your own thoughts and opinions. I find it hysterical...and yet, it does shine some light on what Japan thinks of the rest of the world. And, more importantly, the fact that safety differs everywhere you go - and it really helps to read up a bit before you go! 

Click Here!