Is the sense of security here an appealing target for organized thieves?

One of the things I've always appreciated about living in Japan is the sense that, generally speaking, people trust each other. You see unattended belongings left on tables, bicycles left unlocked, and so on. I worry that when I eventually return to my home country, I'll have to retrain myself not to do that!

Despite that overall safety and trust, there are still things that surprise me. You've probably all read/heard about the smash and grab that happened at Nakano Broadway recently, where four luxury watches worth around ¥200 million were taken. I was struck by the value involved, and genuinely wondered why watches worth that much would be sitting in a display case in the first place! The reputation for safety here is deserved, but I think that sense of security can also make the country an appealing target for organized thieves.

Image created via Canva

According to police, the display case was broken with a hammer, and the two suspects were inside the shop for all of 10 seconds before fleeing. Police say one watch was recovered, and the older suspect allegedly told investigators they planned to sell the watches and take the money back to Chile. 

There's another side to stories like this for those of us who are visibly foreign here. Most foreign residents have nothing whatsoever to do with crime, but high-profile cases like this one involving foreign suspects can reinforce existing assumptions. That's frustrating when the vast majority of us are simply living our lives, working, raising families, and so forth.