Is it safe to go out at night in Japan?

Although Japan is considered a very safe destination for tourists, you should still use your common sense to avoid trouble. We recommend a few simple precautions to keep you safe on your travels: Avoid going out by yourself at night to quiet or unlit areas, especially when you don't know your way around.



Japan is widely considered one of the safest countries in the world for nighttime exploration, consistently ranking at the top of global safety indices. You will frequently see women walking alone, salarymen sleeping on trains, and children navigating public transit late at night. This safety is attributed to a combination of a high-functioning police presence (the "Koban" or neighborhood police boxes), a strong cultural emphasis on social order, and very strict laws regarding firearms and drugs. However, "safe" does not mean "risk-free." In major entertainment districts like Roppongi or Kabukicho in Tokyo, visitors should be wary of "touts" who aggressively invite people into bars. These establishments can sometimes involve "spiked" drinks or exorbitant "hidden" cover charges—a practice known as "bottling." While physical violence is extremely rare, petty theft and financial scams can target distracted tourists. As long as you stay away from suspicious touts and keep a standard level of awareness, you can enjoy the neon-lit streets, 24-hour ramen shops, and late-night karaoke boxes with a level of peace of mind that is difficult to find in almost any other developed nation.

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As you can see, the crime statistics of Metropolitan Police Department of Tokyo in 2019 shows that Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Shibuya are the 3 most dangerous areas in Tokyo by far, as we all know the famous Shinjuku Kabukicho, Ikebukuro ?West Gate? Park and Shibuya Center Street.

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Yes, you can walk around at night and never worry about being robbed or mugged. When I worked there, my female colleagues would routinely walk home from a restaurant and a bar even though it was late at night. Tokyo is an extremely safe city.

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Bars and karaoke joints are far from the only late-night locations in Japan. Some museums, aquariums and theme parks stay open until 9 or 10 p.m. Sports entertainment centers also stay open late and, in some cases, 24 hours a day.

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Most nightclubs remain open until as late as 6:00AM. Japanese patrons normally show up around 12:30 to 1:30 AM and stay until closing time. If you go to a club too early, you'll likely see mostly tourists there. Don't get discouraged if you enter a club before midnight and it's empty though.

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Usually clubs start filling up around midnight and then stay open till 5.00 or 6.00 am — just in time for your first train home. Clubs generally do not have strict dress codes so simple sneakers, jeans, and T-shirts should be ok to gain entry.

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One of the first things you'll notice during your Japan travel trip is how incredibly welcoming Japanese are towards foreigners (thank you Japan!). They are well known for their politeness and deep rooted traditions, so they definitely don't expect travellers to know all the social faux pas right off the bat.

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The Yakuza is largely responsible for the absence of violent crime, in particular toward tourists. There are several thousand Yakuza groups and they divide up every inch of Japan. There are no random small-time criminals of the kind who would pull a gun on a tourist.

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Only 3G and 4G capable UK handsets will work in Japan. GSM-only UK phones don't work, as there's no GSM network. If you plan to make lots of calls or use mobile data in Japan, SIM cards are available to hire online or in-store. WiFi zones are also increasingly available in coffee shops, hotels and other public spaces.

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