Japan’s Violent Crime Streak

Japan is losing its reputation as a safe country. And, has done so in almost one week.

A high school student cut off his mother's head and delivered the severed body part to a local police station.

A tremendously stupid couple stuffed a one year old boy in the helmet compartment of their motorcycle while they played pachinko.

Then there was a shoot out in the 'gunless' society leaving one policeman dead and three others injured. How/where did the guy who shot the policeman practice is skills?

Japan had not lost a policeman to a shooting in 6 years. Seems like a pretty safe statistic to me considering police might get shot at and killed in Oakland a couple of times a night.

Oh…and we mustn't forget that a father abandoned his 3-year old boy at the new 'baby' soon to be called 'toddler' drop off box in Kumamoto.

What about the English teacher who was recently strangled and left in a bath tub full of sand? Her murderer is still at large.

Is Japan losing it? It's reputation as a safe country?

In 2005, Japan had 1,391 homicides. America, with just 2.5 times the population had that many homicides every MONTH!

I think I'll call Japan safe…at least compared to America.

How about you?