Street crime in Japan

<p>Conni said:</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Don't plan to carry a knife in Japan.</p>

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<p>Plus 1. It's a good way to get arrested in a country where carrying weapons is not the norm.</p>

<p>Any weapon in a non-expert's will only add to the carrier's danger.</p>

<p>David:</p>

<p>It's not just not the norm, it's against the law. Japanese police are very courteous but they have no sense of humor and you won't get a pass for being a foreigner.<br>

Conni</p>

<p>I would agree that a knife will cause more problems than it's worth, especially in such a country as Japan where street crime is negligible. Even though one of the girls is in Army ROTC, has military training and no doubt has had hand-to-hand combat training, they never even gave carrying a weapon the slightest consideration.</p>

<p>The girls are totally comfortable with their trip, but it's poor Daddy that needs the reassurance. The one girl is more concerned about buying film and getting it developed than personal safety. I only know one girl personally and not that well, but my impression is that they will both do fine. They have been riding the subways in NYC to attend school since they were about 10 or 11 years old, both are street wise and both accomplished in jujutsu and some other martial art, which escapes me.</p>

<p>Nevertheless, fathers being fathers, it's only natural to be very concerned for the safety of one's daughter alone (albeit with a female companion) in a foreign land. Today's 24/7 news cycle of endless crimes, kidnappings, disappearances and general disaster doesn't help allay a parent's fears.</p>

<p>I printed this thread out for the one girl's father and I think he 'gets it' that Japan is a safe, modern, ordered society. The girls are not travelling alone to Somalia, after all.</p>

<p>With regard to the film situation, I will give them from my freezer stash, a brick of Fuji Superia 400 and of Superia 800. After they run through that, they will have to buy the film locally. I recommended that, if possible, have the negatives scanned by wherever they have the rolls developed over there, then mail the CDs back periodically in batches. They then have a back-up for the negatives, or vice versa, mail the negatives home and keep the CDs with them. Either way, if they lose what they have on them in Japan, the back-ups will be waiting for them stateside.</p>

<p>Again, thanks to everyone who has responded and provided valuable insight and advice.</p>

<p>I would peg Japan as one of the safest countries to travel in. All three of us, my wife, daughter and myself have travelled to and in Japan solo at various times. None of us felt that crime was ever an issue for us.<br>

If anything, the greatest hazard is... getting disoriented and temporarily lost when you find yourself in an out of the way spot and have no idea what the Japanese signs say and no English speakers are in sight.<br>

As to back packing, the Japanese are avid hikers and there are some interesting routes. Two years ago, on my way to visit my daughter in Korea, I hiked in the Kiso valley on the Nakasendo between the towns of Tsumago and Magome. This is a preserved section of the Edo era imperial highway (really a stone paved foot path) between Kyoto and Tokyo (Edo). I did not run into any highwaymen, just groups of friendly school kids wanting to practice their English on me as we collectively huffed and puffed our way up to the pass.<br>

I found people to be helpful and courteous if somewhat reserved, and was never accosted or hassled in any way. A shining example were the elderly inn keepers of a minshuku in Narai, who spoke no English!<br>

But for a young person's take, I should let my daughter speak: <a href="http://www.anywhere-but-home.com/travel-as-medicine-how-japan-got-me-over-a-broken-leg/">http://www.anywhere-but-home.com/travel-as-medicine-how-japan-got-me-over-a-broken-leg/</a></p>

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<p>I have had only one ugly incident in 24 years of living in/visiting in Japan and that was at night in Nara. It was over fairly quickly.</p>

<p>I have taken a load of top quality Nikkors and my F5 up into Ueno Park where one of the largest groups of homeless men live quietly and neatly and photographed down across Shinabazu to get a nightlighted shot I wanted of Benzaiten. No Problems and I didn't expect any. I'm never afraid in Japan. No reason to be.</p>

<p>I have experienced the 'turned around' in areas with no English signs or speakers but I always seem to get where I'm going.<br>

Conni<br>

Conni</p>

<p>Japan is incredibly safe compared to American standards. There are no yahoos with guns, there are no slums with poor desperate people, no scared people packing for self-protection, no gangs, no nutbar armed militias, no large numbers of crack addicts. I would feel safer for a month in Japan than I would for 3 hours in New York City. Japan is incredibly clean, well mannered and polite. Tokyo is an incredible megalopolis than just works great. It is INCREDIBLY clean and safe. Compared to LA or NYC it seems like Sesame Street clean and safe.<br>

I was there for 2 weeks a couple years ago and I was amazed.<br>

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/sets/72157628659379751/<br>

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/sets/72157629563149574/<br>

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/sets/72157629933571667/</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I have had only one ugly incident in 24 years of living in/visiting in Japan and that was at night in Nara. It was over fairly quickly.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Some deer come after you looking for snacks?<br>

<a title="Japan March 2008 by Joel, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2007/2438045580_2c4ffbd773_z.jpg?zz=1" alt="Japan March 2008" width="640" height="425" /></a></p>

 

<p>No, it was a rather large man for a Japanese and he jumped on me from behind three times before he was persuaded to take a hike.<br>

Conni</p>

<p>I've lived in Japan for over 10 years and have never had an incident, other than being asked for sex. In all cases, telling the guy to f--- off or even just saying no usually works. Most guys don't want to attract attention to themselves. That's not to say that bad stuff can't happen, but the odds of it happening to these two girls is extremely unlikely. Japan is extremely safe. Using common sense and trusting your instincts is usually the best way to deal with most situations.</p>

<p>As for travel, having some Japanese helps, but you absolutely don't need it. The girls may be "backpacking" but I imagine they'll hit mostly well-known tourist places in Japan, most of which will have English-language signage (and some English speakers). I've also found that (especially in off-the-beaten-track places) writing my request down in English seems to work better sometimes, as quite a number of people lack confidence in understanding spoken English. Either way, the girls will be fine here.</p>

<p>As for film, it's still available (compared to the western world) -- almost any photo store will still carry some. That being said, the best places are <a href="http://www.shootingfilm.net/2013/01/inside-yodobashi-cameras-film-coolr.html">Yodobashi Camera</a> (in any major city, but Tokyo is the mecca and has the best selection -- please look at the link) or BIC Camera (Toyko and Osaka are good, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka are not in my recent experiences). Colour neg, slide, black and white, everything from 135 to large format is available.</p>

<p>PS. I just went through the photos for the Yodobashi Camera link that I listed above -- the photos at the top of the page are more representative of what's there now, that is, a long single cooler with all brands of film in it. The photos at the bottom are older (5 or more years) when that store had up to three massive coolers -- one mostly for Fuji, one mostly for other players (Kodak, Ilford), and one for "other" films including disposables, instant film, etc. Or maybe the difference was colour film versus black and white. Either way, those coolers are gone now and it's just the one. Another clue is the presence of now-discontinued films in those bottom pictures.<br>

<br /> Yodobashi camera stores in smaller cities will have much less selection than the Tokyo store, but they still cover all the basics.</p>

<p>Yodobashi is my idea of heaven! The Yodobashi in Osaka is more than adequate but doesn't come near Tokyo. Film is still plentiful there and over in the shops in Koreatown is a good place to buy film and camera gear.</p>

<p>The man I had the the problem with was very drunk and Japanese didn't phase him. Still, given where I've gone in the night with much of my gear and alone, one incident makes the point that Japan is all but crime free. Not bad for 24 years. I'm there less now but will return to living in Tokyo again off and on.<br>

Conni<br>

Conni</p>

<p>If the original poster is still following the thread, did the girls go over yet, and if so, how did things go?</p>

<p>Both girls are over there now but the one father has only received a few iPhone images as the girls are shooting with only film cameras. So far no problems. But they did comment that blonde western women received a lot of unwanted attention on the street since Japanese men are fascinated with blondes. Fortunately for both girls, they have straight black hair that looks like any other Japanese 20-something female.</p>

<p>No incidents of any kind, but get this insanity: They thought it would be "way cool" to head up near Fukushima to photograph the "ghost towns"! They were wisely talked out of that by some locals -- too dangerous and foolish, plus civilian access is restricted anyway.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The blonde attraction is seriously true. I'm 6' tall and naturally very light blonde. I just behaved as I do here. I've never acted as a stranger in any country I've been in. But in Japan you can't help but notice the attention.</p>

<p>We've been terribly worried because one of my students worked for a company I won't name at the units at Fukushima and even with the help of my husband we haven't found any news of him.</p>

<p>I understand their interest in the 'ghost town' because I had been to Chernobyl before the meltdown. At the time, I thought it looked wrong somehow. What was missing of course was the outer covering that I was used to seeing like at Three Mile Island. I still grieve about that because the people there were so kind to me and they were very proud of the reactor. It was during the Cold War and everyone wasn't as accepting (this is not blame) and the loss of their community and personal belongings must have been horrific. Of course I have no photos but the people and scene are etched in my memory.</p>

<p>The girls may be doing a bit of what, in my opinion, they should. They are looking and absorbing instead of just looking through the viewfinder. Yes, get photos but see where you are, smell it and feel it. Between the two, they'll have the photos they want later but they'll have much more if photography is a part, not the whole. Blasphemy!</p>

<p>Conni</p>

<p>Conni,</p>

<p>I understand the fascination with ghost towns. In my younger days I extensively photographed the Southwest High Desert and there were then (back in the 1970s) many bona fide ghost towns to visit. In my last visit there in 1998 or '99, many were almost totally gone.</p>

<p>The girls wanted to do some street photography and not attract attention. The one girl, whose father I am friendly with, is half Thai, and her girlfriend, who I saw only in pictures, is from South America (Peru or Colombia, not sure) but was raised in New York City. Travelling together most people would take them for Filipinos or Vietnamese or Malaysians -- anything but American -- so I'm sure they have "good cover" for blending in. Now when they open their mouths with heavy Noo Yawk accents, that will be the give away!</p>

<p>Hopefully when they return I can see if the one girl's father would be willing to ask his daughter to post a few pictures. Even though it's film and they are developing on the fly, I assume the minilabs in Japan will scan their negs to CDs.</p>

<p>Oh! I'd be very interested in what they found interesting. </p>

<p>You're right about appearing to be Southeast Asian Visitors but also correct about that accent. Nothing like it. I couldn't blend in at all - duh.</p>

<p>You can learn so much by what others post of their travels.</p>

<p>And the minilabs will burn to disk and I've seen a few where they would put them on a thumb drive for you.<br>

Conni</p>

 

<p>Conni,</p>

<p>In fact, I advised the father -- who is not in the least photo savvy (but otherwise a "techy") -- to tell his daughter to mail back the prints and negatives, or at least the negatives, periodically from the road. Keep the CDs or thumb drives with them as they occupy less space than lugging the prints and negatives around. Better yet, mail back the prints, negatives and CDs to the States and keep all the jpegs on the thumb drives with them. Very little chance everything would get lost or misplaced.</p>

<p>Back in the day, thousands of my transparencies were lost in the move from the Southwest back to the Northeast. My entire œuvre of the High Desert photographed over several years while attending university there was completely lost by the movers, never to be seen again. All I have to show is a few prints made of selected shots, as well as an errant yellow box or two of Kodachromes that were in cartons that arrived safely.</p>

<p>Both girls are what I would call "exotic" looking -- hard to pin down the ethnicity on first sight and either or both could pass for Asian, South American or even Pacific Islander, such as Hawaiian, Fijian, Tahitian. If they were actresses, they would be the 20-something female version of Anthony Quinn: easily cast in a host of diverse ethnic rôles.</p>

<p>I'm sure they are having the time of their lives. The whole sojourn is supposed to last 8-12 weeks, hence they must do everything on a shoestring to make the yen stretch as far as possible. They are at a great age for what they are doing.</p>

<p>Let's hope I can prevail on posting a few snaps of their experiences.</p>

<p> </p>