WilliamSmith wrote: ↑December 22nd, 2021, 3:50 pm
Thanks Yohan, good information about Japan.
I was surprised when I learned from Japanese property owners how easy it was for even foreigners to buy some real estate there, among other things.
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Enlarging a bit on 5-6 about weapons and self-defense:
The native Japanese population is known for being mostly so law-abiding that the crime rates there are really low, so statistically there is minimal danger compared with places like urban US cities...
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Also, I've mostly heard Japanese police are often good quality, but way more likely to side with a Japanese native if there's any doubt at all about who's at fault.
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One other thing that was not on the OP's list, but which a higher and higher # of people in the degraded 'West' are heavily into: Drugs.
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So yeah, it's not a police state like Signapore where someone can get executed by hanging for having an illegal baggy of pot,
Wherever you go, no country is perfect. In general I can say, Japan is functioning well, for sure one of the best countries in all Asia.
Prices might be high in hotels, restaurants, taxi and otherwise service related businesses, but it should also be mentioned that this is really a tipless society, something what is surprising for visitors from the USA.
Keep in mind however, that Japanese people are not very communicative, often do not understand any foreign language and if you are unable to read Japanese you will find yourself as an illiterate wherever you go - especially outside of the larger cities.
Further, this country is not a cheap place, you need to work regularly with a proper visa to avoid to run out of money for a living - taxes etc. are not low.
To own property in Japan - and to be eligible for long stay visa/working permit are two different matters.
However you can, even as a tourist, own 100 % in your foreigners name (no loan, must be fully paid) in the land title a condominium unit everywhere in Japan and visa free stay up to 3 months x 2 times is permitted for visitors from many countries.
If you qualify for long-stay permit you will soon notice that the Japanese national health insurance is really good, considered as one of the best worldwide.
Also worth to mention Japan is clean - water quality is very good, clean restrooms for free use everywhere, no garbage around in the streets, no slums...etc.
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About personal safety, I am living in Japan, in Tokyo and after retirement in Okayama, since more than 40 years and I and all my family members never had any confrontation so far, no hooligans, no burglars, no beggars - just nothing. I can go out day and night, to everywhere, just nothing...
no street criminality.
Japan is not crime-free of course, but it is really crime-low and most crimes are among people who know each other. Within the family, or school, workplace and so on. Crimes against foreigners like myself (white man from Europe) is almost zero.
Japanese prison population is less than 50.000 people out of 126 million, in USA it is about 2.2 million out of 330 million people. Very big difference.
The only what I carry with me always is my mobile phone, I never used it for calling the police because of a crime. I called police only in a few cases of traffic and other accidents (fire etc.)
In general I cannot say that a Japanese police officer on the way with his bicycle is of 'good quality', often acting rather helpless -
Only some of them undergo a strict special training (for example motorcycle police) and know what they have to do - however an ordinary Japanese police officer, regardless if young or old, male or female, is very polite and patient and honest, will never take a bribe etc.
Conduct is really good, not aggressive at all.
Illegal drugs are not such a big issue in Japan (problem is more about alcohol) and Japan is not Singapore - however if they catch you entering Japan with drugs for sale expect about the same in years what you get in Europe in weeks.
It really depends on the individual foreigners, however foreigners I know in Japan from Europe (and the States) like myself as a permanent resident are few, almost all of them are men and all with Japanese family.
Most others, often with contracts related to a foreign company with a Japanese branch office, leave Japan within 3 to 6 years.
There are less than 3 million foreigners in Japan, mostly from Asia. Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Filipinos and also Brazil Japanese....
), or else learn some grappling martial arts so you can try to take down attackers without causing them serious injuries. 
), but expats or tourists who are used to smoking pot (or whatever) all the time: Japan has way more strict laws not only banning "recreational" drugs, but also a lot of stuff that's over-the-counter in the US. 