Is Tokyo dangerous at night? Answer from my experience as a Japanese!

August 30, 2022 Category - Walk & Travel

I’m sure many people know Japan is very safe country and I can agree to it.

But how about night in Tokyo?

I’m Japanese and many times spent night in Tokyo, so I can explain if it’s dangerous or not.

Here I’ll tell you the safety of Tokyo at night time and add some places said to be dangerous (but not dangerous at all compared to other countries).

Contents

1. Is Tokyo dangerous at night?
2. Dangerous places in Tokyo
2.1. Shinjuku (Kabukicho and Shinjuku 3 chome)
2.2. Shibuya (Maruyamacho)
2.3. Ikebukuro (West Ikebukuro)
3. My Advide for Safety
3.1. Ignore Barkers
3.2. Don’t go to deserted place alone
3.3. Check Information of TMPD
4. Summary

Is Tokyo dangerous at night?

I’ll tell you the conclusion first, it’s not dangerous even at night in Tokyo.

In my twenties, I sometimes missed last train at midnight in Tokyo and walking around streets in Tokyo but I have never experienced any danger even one time.

I also checked some other Japanese people who lived in Tokyo and all of them said not dangerous at all even at night.

From my experience and others’s experience, I can say Tokyo is not dangerous even at night.

But you have to remember not 100%.

Compared to other countries, Tokyo is very safe, still every country has strange and mad people.

If you are unlucky, there is a chance you encounter with those people.
Well, even I have a chance to encounter with those people.

Instead of no threat of gun shooting, there were cases of stabbing by knives in Japan.
You might have been involved in a car accident.
There was a case passer‐by got involved in death-leap.

All of them are rare cases, well, car accident might be not so rare, but there were in the past and will be in the future.

And if you a girl, the risk of being involved in a sexual crime is higher than male.
Every country is same for this although you can see many Japanese girls enjoy night life in Tokyo.

Night in Tokyo is not dangerous but please keep in mind not 100% safe, there is always risk even in a safe country.

Dangerous places in Tokyo

Actually, no dangerous places in Tokyo.

Hundreds of times I hanged out in Tokyo both day and night and even a single time I have not involved in dangerous things.

But that just ends the story, so here I’ll forcibly pick up dangerous places compared to other areas in Tokyo.

They are just a bit dangerous compared to other areas in Tokyo but when you compare them with those of other countries’, not dangerous at all, I can say.

Shinjuku (Kabukicho and Shinjuku 3 chome)

Shinjuku is always ranked in as a dangerous place.

I myself often went to Shinjuku day and night in my twenties but I’ve never encountered with dangerous situation.

But weird situation which happens maybe only in Japan I encountered here several times.
I’ll also tell you about that with 2 spots you need to keep in mind.

First spot is Kabukicho.

I think you know this place as it’s also a famous tourist spot.
It’s a nightlife district.

So nothing dangerous in daytime but at night time, especially late night, it changes its face a bit.

You could see barkers and hosts and hostess.

But as long as you just ignore them and don’t go to those shops including drinking bars, not dangerous.
I myself walked the streets in Kabukicho at late night several times but I didn’t feel any danger.

Actually, certain spot in Kabukicho is also famous as a haunted place.
Some girls who worked as a hostess jumped to death from the building.

If you have six sense, you’d better not to step in those spots, too.

The other spot is Shinjuku 3 Chome.
I myself experienced something strange a few times here although not dangerous.

Shinjuku 3 Chome is famous as a spot gay people come together.

I don’t have any negative image about those gay people but if you are a young boy, there is a chance of you attract those people.

A couple of times, they spoke to me to hang out.

I was eating lunch in a park in Shinjuku 3 chome and suddenly a business man in suit, maybe around 40 or 50-year-old, came in front of me and asked if I could hang out.

I couldn’t understand what was going on at all at the time.
I was in my early twenties and thin and had a bit long hair, so maybe he misunderstood me for a girl?

I declined the offer but same thing happened a couple of times.

Finally I came to know Shinjuku 3 Chome was a famous spot gay people came together, especially, park was a kind of meeting spot for them.

Well, actually even in front of Shinjuku Station a man asked me.

Not dangerous as what you do is just decline but this is also a kind of keep-in-mind spot for first visitors.

Google Map of Shinjuku 3 Chome

Shibuya (Maruyamacho)

Shibuya is also a famous popular tourist spot.

And nothing dangerous, rather so many ordinary Japanese you can see day and night.
Shibuya crossing is super famous, isn’t it.

But only one spot you need to keep in mind.
That’s Maruyamacho.

This is the spot love hotels and club gather.
So it is like Kabukicho in Shinjuku.

No sleeping spot.
Popular among young people.

Actually, stabbing by a girl just occurred here in Maruyamacho 2022 August.
This kind of real accident is very rare and victims were OK after all, still this became big news.

Good point is there is a police box very close.

Mauyamacho is backstreet of Dogenzaka which is a big street with many people and there is a police box as well.

Google Map of Shibuya Maruyamacho

Ikebukuro (West Ikebukuro)

Every week I go to Ikebukuro as I stared a job of Uber delivery 2 days a week in Ikebukuro.

Even late night, I ride on bicycle.
And I can say Ikebukuro is not dangerous.

Still, some people say Ikebukuko is a kind of dangerous, so I picked up here.

East exit is not dangerous, especially main street and around which leads to Sunshine Building.
This is the most popular area and many people you can see.

Some say around west and north exit, especially spot where love hotels and girls bars come together (right side after going out of west exit) is a bit dangerous.

Left side of west exit is actually safe even at late night, I can say.

I agree if I compare it to east side but not dangerous even late night after all.
I sometimes missed train in Ikebukuro back in my twenties and walked streets of west side alone past midnight but I’ve never experienced dangerous things.

Just some barkers on the street speak to you if you are a man.
Ignore them and you are OK.

Google Map of Ikebukuro West Exit

My Advice for Safety

Only 2 points I can tell you to be safe here.
If you keep them in mind, 99% you are not involved in dangerous things.

Ignore Barkers

Not all but some barkers, especially, those in Kabukicho in Shinjuku and in Ikebukuro try to deceive you.

Do not go to the places they introduce you.

You might end up paying such a big money in the end.

Not only girls bar but even an ordinary Izakaya I don’t recommend you to follow them.

In fact, standing on the street luring customers is prohibited by ordinance.

Don’t go to deserted place alone

If you are a girl, I don’t recommend you to go to backstreet or deserted place alone at late night.

I think if it is around the center of the station, backstreet is OK.
I myself went through backstreet many times at late night but I’m a man, not a girl.

Not only in Tokyo but other places, being alone late night in a quiet and deserted place puts you into a higher risk of involving sexual crime.

So I don’t recommend girls to go to deserted place late night alone.

Compared to other countries, the risk is very low here but still there is a risk, so better safe than sorry.