It's not a myth: Japan is an extremely safe place. Those of us from countries which are less safe don't like to admit it, but Japan is very safe. Virtually all kids go to school on their own, from the smallest 1st grader (6 years). Here's an example, of a group of little kids (6 or 7 years old?) who commute to school on the train, passing through a very busy station/shopping area, without adult supervision.
What makes Japan much safer than other countries?
ReplyDeleteHmm, the million dollar question! My opinion is 1) kids are brought up to be nice and pacifistic (less desperation, not clawing to survive or get ahead); 2) people are taught it's really important to follow the rules; 3) high density means you're rarely alone (there's always a witness); 4) more fear of consequences, because of a) police have more leeway (less emphasis on rights of the accused), and b) cases are decided by judges (less sympathetic than juries, so punishment is more certain).
ReplyDeleteMy other pet theory is that the US is actually safer than most people think, but we're paranoid about letting our kids out on their own (note that kids in Japan don't wear bike helmets)....