Young women lax on security at home

The recent arrest of 28-year-old Toshiya Tsuji, accused of committing at least two break-in rapes in Saitama Prefecture, has shed light on the low awareness of personal security by many young women who live alone.

Nikkan Gendai (April 16) quotes Rissho University professor Nobuo Komiya as saying that perhaps as many as half of young Japanese, male and female alike, are not in the habit of securing their doors.

“While living with their parents, they became used to having everything done for them, and they never developed crime prevention awareness,” says Komiya. “This is extremely common among those in their 20s and 30s. Especially when living in apartments or mansions, they feel a false sense of security due to the close proximity of neighbors, and don’t take precautions. Or, they might rationalize by saying, ‘There’s nothing in here worth stealing’ or ‘Why would anyone possibly want to attack me?’”

“There have been cases of women raped who were living in buildings equipped with an auto lock at the main entrance. Thinking that was sufficient, they neglected to lock their own doors,” Komiya adds.

Among recent incidents, the Kawaguchi police reported two cases of rape by a construction worker who used exterior scaffolding to gain access to an adjacent building, entering via unlocked windows. One of his victims was murdered.

Komiya advises against activities that may give criminals an indication that a resident of a particular unit is a woman living alone, such as leaving window curtains open, or letting certain types of rubbish, such as women’s magazines, pile up in the building corridor.

In 2006, the latest year for which National Police Agency data is available, 230,000 incidents of burglary were reported in Japan. The most common point of entry was from windows, with 93,000. Second place was the front door, with approximately 50,000 cases.

Latest 15 of 24 Total Comments Show All

Smythe at 06:56 AM JST - 17th April

Some parts of Canada are also claimed to be with unlocked doors & people are proud of it.

It is up to the parent to teach their kids about to step out on their own. My home is with normal locks, but also with dead-lock bolts. To an alarm system. Even anyone coming to my place has to hammmer on the door, a number of times till I open it.

NOW we are having far, to many people of many ages, but elderly people mainly, that are being abused for their possible money (thank drugs for this one) along with rapes to rapes & killings.

Azrael I will admit that I sleep with my wIndow open, but only a small amount to even in the cold winter months---something I have done all my life.
Smythe at 06:58 AM JST - 17th April

Opps, for I am sorry as I failed to mention that I am a man on the old side, so no worry like that of a woman of all ages.
cleo at 09:42 AM JST - 17th April

People announce themselves IN THE GENKAN, not from outside.

lol I used to have that too, until people found themselves being 'greeted' by a Dobie.

I have to admit, I tend not to bother about locking doors and windows during the day, unless I'm going out. Mr. Cleo is the one who always locks the front door behind him when he comes in.
Beelzebub at 09:47 AM JST - 17th April

And media outlets like this one certainly don't help...so be careful about what you read.

desune, are you attacking the message or the messenger? An article advising people to take a few common-sense precautions isn't quite as extreme as the kind of fear-mongering that drives them to sleep with a loaded firearm (if they could get one, which they probably couldn't) beside their futon.
bushlover at 11:31 AM JST - 17th April

Hey that's what japan needs. loaded weapons by futons. This could curb the instances of an offspring trying to sneak up on you so you can have a fightin chance. Could have saved some mothers and fathers in the past.
Statistician at 03:03 PM JST - 17th April

@Westurn. I really am a professional statistician and I quite agree with you that all 'reported crime' statistics are suspect and contain serious reporting distortions (Chiba police were caught red-handed at it some time ago). But there is no doubt that the true underlying Japanese rate of offences is much lower. I actually included a qualification in my original comments but a moderator here has chosen to delete them, presumably because of an invidious comparson with the USA.

@netrek. I don't follow homicide statistics in detail but of all the crimes it is the one most likely to get fully reported and there are few differences in definitions internationally. I can tell you that the last time I checked the homicide rate per million inhabitants for Chiba-ken ran at 7% the contemporary USA average. Japan is far safer when it comes to getting murdered. Maybe this too will now be censored, but let's hope not.
westurn at 03:33 PM JST - 17th April

Netrek, Statistician, etal...

Just a few months ago a book came out here in Japan highlighting this very topic, how Japanese police skew numbers and data to make their precincts appear safer than they really are. In the US, this simply does not happen. In fact, I would say the opposite happens... that relatively peaceful and quiet communities have nothing to gain from state legislators by being such. No siree, crime is big business and it puts millions of people to work each year. In short, it is better to have the appearance of crime than the appearance of relative calm. Obviously explains why so many millions of people continue to flock to what is consistently advertised as the most dangerous place on earth. If that were really true... wouldn't Americas population figures drop ?

Oh and Kenbrady... lost yer computer, and got it back ? Trust me there are millions of honest citizens in the USA also. We just read about one such construction worker, with a mountain of debt, returning hundreds of thousands of dollars he found. I too have seen people drop 10's and 20's from their pockets while walking, only to have some honest American return it ! Honsety is an individual thing, hardly molded by national character !
westurn at 03:38 PM JST - 17th April

Oh, and is it me, or is there something just short of a "police state" mentality in Japan. I mean just step outside your home and take a look at all the police, guardsmen, cameras, security doors, gates, fences, barriers, false mirrors, viewing holes in the ceilings, and signs warning that "someone" is watching you ! I used to get a good chuckle about the recorded message at my local Sundaymart that asked the customers to please not shoplift from the store !
cleo at 07:24 PM JST - 17th April

Oh, and is it me, or is there something just short of a "police state" mentality in Japan. I mean just step outside your home and take a look at all the police, guardsmen, cameras, security doors, gates, fences, barriers, false mirrors, viewing holes in the ceilings, and signs warning that "someone" is watching you !

Yes, maybe it's just you. Or maybe it's just Tokyo. In my town I see few policemen, guardsmen, cameras, security doors or signs warning that 'someone' is watching me. Can't say I've noticed any viewing holes in the ceiling either, but then I've never thought to look for any.... Gates, fences, barriers I don't think are unique to Japan, but the ones round here tend to be pretty porous - we had to doctor the fence around our house to make it dog-proof.

It would be awful to be as paranoid as some folk. (Being paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't out to get ya, of course...)
thepossum at 10:58 PM JST - 17th April

"In my town I see few policemen, guardsmen, cameras, security doors or signs warning that 'someone' is watching me."

This coming from someone with a known policeofficer in the family ???
cleo at 01:03 AM JST - 18th April

a known policeofficer in the family ???

You make it sound like an offense in itself....... :-)

Definitely don't see enough of her. And having a 'known police officer' in the family lets one know first-hand how short-staffed the police force here is.
Proffessor at 06:44 PM JST - 18th April

Azrael, I am not the moderator here but I would advise you learn how summarize your post like the one above. Gets boring along the way....
thepossum at 10:44 PM JST - 19th April

Not an "offense" Cleo, but a bit offensive, as we all ain't as dumb as you may think ! Westurn is so right with the observation that Japan is "indeed" a police state ! Fences, officers, cameras, security guards, protective doors that slide down to protect shop windows, mansions and apartments with elaborate security systems... obviously begs the question, If Japan is so safe... why all the security ?
cleo at 01:47 AM JST - 20th April

thepossum -

Having a police officer in the family is offensive??

Well pardon me..... :-(

If Japan is so safe... why all the security ?

As I pointed out above, what you're describing is probably just Tokyo, or just the big cities. Not much of what you describe is in evidence where I live. Policemen, security guards, cameras, protective doors, mansions with elaborate security systems - only ever seen them in the big city. Here in semi-rural Japan I leave my doors and windows open most of the time - never been burgled. I can leave my bicycle outside with the key in it and the basket stuffed with shopping, come back an hour later to find the bike and shopping still there. There's a lot more to Japan than just Tokyo.
thepossum at 02:01 AM JST - 20th April

"Not much of what you describe is in evidence where I live."

What Tochigi ? Didn't someone try to kill your highest ranking politician with a gun just a few years ago ?

"Policemen, security guards, cameras, protective doors, mansions with elaborate security systems - only ever seen them in the big city."

I don't think so ! I've lived in both major cities and the countryside in Japan. Crime appears rampant in both !

"Here in semi-rural Japan I leave my doors and windows open most of the time"

Odd, I did the same in the USA for 30 years and, like you said...

"never been burgled."

I sure as hell wouldn't do that here in Japan ! Fact is, the next headline could easily read:

"Young males Lax on security at home" !