Safety and Crime in Japan

8.8 MILLION people live in Osaka, Japan.  That's 7% of Japan's population and makes it the 3rd largest prefecture (kinda like a state) in Japan.  Osaka is also the third most expensive city to live for expats (i.e. foreigners) which was published in the paper a few weeks after our arrival.  Osaka is also a sister city to Chicago in the United States!

Speaking of Chicago, it's population is about 2.7 million.  The actual city of Cincinnati has just under 300,000.  Kind of a different place over here.

Now while you are trying to conceive 8.8 million people - just in one city.  Let's talk about crime.  Specifically, murder.  (only because I'm trying to be fair and compare apples to apples here and it's the only number that I can find quickly that ensures things are being added up and divided out equivalently.)

So, per 100,000 people...in Chicago...there are 15.6 homicides
And, per 100,000 people...in Cincinnati...there are 28.8 homicides (cough, cough)
Let's whisper this so we may not faint - or just completely not believe it.
In Osaka (in a city of 8.8 million)...there are .79 murders per 100,000 people.  And, that decimal placement is not a typo!  I meant to type seventy-nine hundredths of a person is murdered per 100,000 people.

That doesn't mean murder doesn't occur, it's just not the top story on the news each night because it doesn't happen every day.
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On a lighter note...
We wanted to show you photos of what Jim and I have decided are examples of the theft rate in Osaka.  No numbers, just pictures....

This is a photo of a drug store by the smaller of the two train stations near our apartment.  This is actually an entrance to a hallway of maybe a restaurant and some back doors to stores along the street near the station.  There is another separate entrance on the street (and I'm taking a picture of the street entrance to this hallway which is just about 8-10 feet from the street entrance to the store).  You can also enter this store about mid- way from this aisle...see what looks to be a blue line in the center of the photo.  That's about where the door is.

Notice anything?  No store clerks.  Pretty much never...and there is an exit right where I'm taking the photo from.  Oh an there is also not really many people walking in this hallway (to keep people honest) either.  We do often see one or two people grabbing and item out here, this just happens to be a time when there was not.  I don't like taking pictures of people who maybe don't want to be on our blog.  And, I don't want to look like a tourist (haha).

Here's another example.

These are contact lenses.  Sitting on the street outside a shop where you buy them.  And not sales clerk standing out there.  Jim and I debated that the boxes were empty...aren't they locked up behind the counter at home???  Anyway, I lost.  I checked and they are not empty boxes.  And, although I didn't check the price - I don't think I have found one thing here that I can say is cheaper than in the U.S.  I'm guessing prescription contacts would be more expensive too. 

Trust is awesome.