I wouldn’t really say there are too many dangerous places in Japan, within the same context as you’d use dangerous when talking about different countries. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to sound like one of those people making Japan sound like a super safe utopia where harm has never happened and danger doesn’t exist, don’t think that because that’s how you end up harmed or taken advantage of. I can name two, but in this sense, I wouldn’t necessarily call these areas dangerous but rather say you should take precaution.
Kabukicho
Now, this probably isn’t too surprising, if you’re familiar with Japan and Tokyo as a whole you’re certainly familiar with Kabukicho, the good and the bad. Personally, I had a lot of good memories in Kabukicho when I studied abroad in Tokyo, going to restaurants with friends and all sorts of adventures. However, you need to practice common sense when walking around Kabukicho, and also be careful when it comes to spending money, there are some very prominent scams in this area in the sense that if you’e not careful, or gullible enough, your whole trip could be ruined.
Most of these scams involve fake bars, or fake massage parlors, typically involving the promise of meeting attractive Japanese women. When I’d be walking in Kabukicho, being a white foreigner male typically by myself, I’d be approached by touts (Usually men of African descent) who would try persuading me to follow them in the promise of either meeting women or having some form of sexual interaction/entertainment. Some of them would not take “no” or any social cue of refusal and would follow me, at times making physical contact like grabbing my shirt or touching my shoulders.
DO NOT, absolutely do not follow them. You will be scammed… Badly… Simple as that
Wherever these guys will bring you, you’ll be overcharged/scammed and in that case, it can be very hard to get out of these situations. At times I’ve heard about people being threatened after trying to pull away when ending up in these situations.
Altogether, if you stay street-smart and don’t engage, you’ll be 100% safe. Yes, these touts can be pushy, however they won’t go beyond being annoying as long as you do not engage with wherever they want you to go.
Kabukicho can be fun however at times I found myself a bit creeped out by some stuff like that, feeling like there was a lot more under-the-surface to stuff than what meets the eye. There are lots of young girls in the area behaving concerningly, that’s another thing I noticed about Kabukicho.
Aside from the touts, if you’re a woman by yourself, try to avoid large groups of young men who appear intoxicated/consuming alcohol as they can become quite rowdy/belligerent, and I’ve heard about cases of harassment and unwanted soliciting. Don’t consume too much alcohol to the extent you’re unable to make it back to your hotel/accommodation, as there’s a chance you’ll attract the attention of the police (who may either try to help you or confront you, depending on what exactly you’re doing while drunk) and in general that’s not an ideal night whatsoever.
Nishinari-ku, Osaka
This area of Osaka is notorious for its reputation as a “slum”, “ghetto”, “dirty” and so-on, even saying it’s known for having a high Yakuza presence, which I’m not denying. However, I’d say this area undoubtably has the worst reputation out of most places in Japan.
During my Osaka trip, I actually stayed in this area in a budget hotel. I never felt in danger.
This area has a lot of budget hotels, and hostels, so you’ll also see a lot of foreigners walking around. In general, yes this area can be pretty dirty; with old run-down buildings, graffiti and specific spots with mountains of litter and dirt.
In terms of the people who reside in this area, you’ll encounter a lot of Japanese people (typically elderly) who are struggling, may be homeless and in rough shape. They might be manual laborers (If they have a job) and in a lot of cases, you’ll see them smoking and drinking a lot. However, I never felt like they were a threat, the locals in the area keep to themselves and mind their own business. I was never bothered/approached in Nishinari-Ku, the complete opposite, everyone was very chill.
However, I know that’s only my experience and that doesn’t apply to you. Since there are people in this area who may be struggling with mental health issues or might be under the influence of alcohol, there’s a chance you could be bothered/harassed. I did see lots of people in this area who appeared to be in some sort of mental health crisis, either talking/yelling to themselves or behaving concerningly.
So is this area completely dangerous? Not necessarily. Is it ideal to stay in? Probably not. But it’s not as dangerous as people say.
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