Safe Society

We will be leaving for 1 year in Vancouver, Canada in March. It is interesting to see how Canada is considered a very safe country to live in (compared to the USA south of the border!). However, compared to Japan, Canada is an incredibly violent and dangerous place. Just reading the news online for Vancouver, and I see weekly, if not daily, accounts of gang wars, street shootings and stabbings, random acts of incredible violence such as drunken fights and muggings.

Here in Japan, guns are almost impossible to obtain, and even the mafia don't want to get caught with them as the laws here will punish not only the gang member who got caught with the gun, but will go right up to the top and arrest the leaders of the mafia and gangs and punish them, too! The system works, as Japan is the safest country imaginable.

Sure, there are still murders and violent situations, but not to any extent as found in even a "safe" country such as Canada. In fact, it is a normal sight to see 6 year old children going to school all by themselves in the city, taking the trains etc. My wife can walk alone, at midnight, in an alley, carrying 1000$ in her hand, and no one will bother her. Stores and shops put their merchandise out on display on the sidewalks and pavement and no one will steal anything. What other country can say the same? None.

So.... we will prepare for our year in Vancouver by... trying to forget about the safety of Japan for a year :)

Today's photo is of a man carrying his Japanese longbow and arrows in the city, actually, walking in front of the police station! This again, is a normal sight (he is going to the archery range to practice Kyuudo, a Japanese martial art).