Kim Anastasia STO1302 Safety and security problems in travelling in Japan

Ocean and the Sea of Japan in East Asia. Its

natural beauty, hot springs, exotic cuisine, history, culture and 18 World Heritage Sites attract visitors from all over the world. During 2013, Japan hosted more than 10 million tourists, representing nearly $15 billion in international tourism receipts, according to the 2014 Edition of the UN World Tourism Organization's Tourism Highlights, the most recent version available.

earthquakes in the news – and memories of Japan's 2011

earthquake and resulting tsunami and Fukushima nuclear accident still fairly fresh – how worried should tourists be about their safety? And what about those stories of being robbed in Tokyo?
When making plans to travel or live abroad, safety is often a consideration. People traveling to Japan – or any other country in the world, for that matter – are not immune from risk. Here, we take a quick look at how safe it is to travel in Japan.

countries, falling behind only Iceland (#1), Denmark, Austria, New Zealand,

Switzerland, Finland and Canada (for comparison, the U.S. ranked 101).
Many of the Index’s indicators are scored on a 1 to 5 (very low to very high) ranking system. Japan scored 1 on many of the indicators, including homicides, jailed population, access to weapons, organized conflict (internal), violent demonstrations, violent crimes, political instability, weapons imports, terrorist activity and deaths from conflict (internal and external).

Crime may be more frequent in large cities, particularly in

entertainment districts (see below). Inappropriate touching often occurs in busy subway and commuter trains during morning and evening commuting hours.
Exercise caution in all entertainment and nightlife districts throughout Japan and especially in Tokyo’s Roppongi, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro areas. Foreigners are increasingly targeted in incidents of drink spiking, which can be combined with credit card fraud and physical or sexual assault. Never leave your drink unattended and pay attention when drinks are prepared and served. If possible, avoid carrying credit cards when frequenting nightclubs in any entertainment district. Foreigners have reported being overcharged at bars and clubs.

- train and sea transport.
All major train / railway station

in the Tokyo metropolitan area are located on the circular JR Yamanote line. The trains are equipped with soft seating, machines for coffee and soft drinks, they are also bound to have a toilet, telephone and the scoreboard in Japanese and English. For movement by rail is convenient ticket Japan Rail Pass (valid only for the visitors with a tourist visa and must be purchased in advance). This ticket allows unlimited movement on trains, buses and ferries company Japan Rail, as well as on some trains of private companies for a certain period (one, two or three weeks). Ticket name, transfer it to another person is prohibited when checking must present a passport to confirm the legality of the acquisition.

In Japan, well-developed system of bus routes. Most of them are open from 7:00 to 21:00, and some buses that serve remote areas go from 5:30 to 23:00. At each stop, to indicate its name, the route and its number (unfortunately, mostly in Japanese only). Payment is made before leaving the bus.

. The cars are painted in different colors, depending on the line and have a special place of gray (silver seat) for the elderly and disabled.

world. Literally, the whole country is cut up by the

railroad tracks. In any sparsely populated town can be reached by rail. Trains and trains run on a clear schedule that can be specified at the station and directly on the platform. Not all trains stop at every station, so before you get on the train, verify whether he is the desired station stops. Train ticket or train can be purchased directly before the trip. On the Japanese stations, usually there are offices and ticket machines. Not knowing the Japanese language, it is easier to buy a ticket from the machine.
   If you want to buy a ticket for the high-speed train, it is easier to make a pre-ordered it in Moscow the tour operator. If you need a ticket when you are already in Japan, contact the hotel at the reception or directly in the train station ticket office, where you can catch trains "Shinkansen".
   Looking at the Tokyo metro scheme may give the impression that it is difficult to navigate and you can easily get lost or not go to the right place. In fact, so it seems only at first. Japanese subway, although very ramified, very carefully. The cost of the ticket to the desired station is determined by the scheme (see. above). After receiving a ticket and passing through the turnstile on it, in any case, do not throw it away and do not waste. It is necessary at the output. Out of the subway it is also equipped with a turnstile, which is necessary to lower the ticket, otherwise it will not open. It may happen that your trip route will change after you have purchased your ticket. Then use the purchased ticket for entrance to the station, but did not go through the turnstile, and go to the station employee, show him the ticket and tell the employee how much you need to pay (if the route turned out to be more expensive) or return the difference (if the route is cheaper). upstairs

clean and comfortable, and the driver behind the wheel wearing

white gloves.
   Burning red light on the windshield means that the taxi is free.
   The fare depends on the size of the taxi. The more a taxi, the fare is more expensive there. standard size taxi can take passengers 4 - one at the front and rear 3. The fare does not depend on the number of passengers in the taxi.
   He sits down in a taxi should be on the left side. The door will close behind you automatically.
   Most drivers do not speak in English, and so, especially in Russian. To the driver knew where to take you, he needs to show the address written in Japanese. If you live in a hotel, the employees at the reception, speaking in English, will be able to write to your desired address. About taxi fares can be found here

may want to check out the nightlife when staying in

a major Japanese city.
Roppongi is Tokyo’s entertainment district, and it attracts many foreigners and business types.
If you go looking for trouble you'll find it - same as any city in the world. Some of the seedier bars and clubs are run by yakuza - Japanese mafia with a penchant for all over body tattos and missing fingers. It most probably won't happen to you, but like anywhere, it's possible to get your credit card skimmed or your drink spiked.
The area of Shinjuku in Tokyo, particularly Kabuki-cho, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro, has it's fair share of shady establishments too, but generally if you stick to the popular areas it'll be fine.
In Osaka, there's no surprise that the yakuza have control of the adult entertainment businesses. Spa World (where you can get a themed spa during the day and something a little extra at night!) has a bad reputation after dark. If you're intent on visiting, stick to the well-lit areas when walking between Shin Imamiya or Dobutsuen-mae stations and Spa World.

can also have a different view towards appropriate behavior toward

women. Female travelers have reported others asking them personal questions or catcalling to them. There are also incidents of “chikan” physically assaulting women on public transit by groping them. Several train companies have instituted cars for women only during rush hour, indicated by pink signs directing women where to board.
Like in cases of sexual assault, many female victims have found police to be less than helpful to their plight. Anyone in a dangerous situation should call 110, Japan’s emergency number, or look for a police box, often located on every other corner. Those who find police assistance unhelpful can call the Japan Helpline at 0570-000-911.

0120/461-997